Not An Ordinary Girl
by Livangel16
Summary: Samantha Bushido is not only the daughter of the founder of ninjutsu, but also possesses a powerful amulet that could destroy humanity. The Shredder is desperate to get his hands on it. One of the Turtles has been ordained to protect her. But 2 of them fall head over heels in love with her. Will her love for 2 turtles bring about the end of the world? Ah, l'amour! DonxOC, LeoxOC
1. Chapter 1

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

Samantha Bushido is not only the daughter of the founder of ninjutsu, but also possesses a powerful amulet that could destroy humanity. One of the Turtles has been ordained to protect her. But will her love for 2 turtles bring about the end of the world?

Hey! So this is my first TMNT story ever, so reviews are important, please and thank you! I also have a Law and Order: SVU story up called What Are Friends For, so check that out as well. I'm putting up the first four chapters of this story and then seeing what the response is. OK, enough of my talking! On to the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! I wish I did, but Eastman and Laird have that privilege! All O/C are mine though!

Chapter One

Samantha Bushido stood and watched as the mystic waters in the Seer's Eye swirled rapidly. In a moment, they would stop and reveal the Protector. The one chosen by the Heads to guard one of the most sacred and dangerous treasures ever created: The Amulet of Bushido. As she gazed into the pool's waters, Samantha touched the golden amulet that lay on the warm skin of her neck. Her fingers traced the outline of the sapphire dragon that had been carved in with the metal. Within this sapphire lay a creature so fierce, so deadly, that every emperor who had ever lived had been terrified that it would reunite with its master and wreak havoc upon the earth. But the Heads had taken care of this creature's master. So why were they now choosing someone to protect the amulet…and her?

"Behold the Protector!" Yoshi declared as the waters stilled to reveal a figure hidden in the shadows. In the darkness, she couldn't see much. Suddenly, the white of his eyes became visible and he leapt down, unsheathing two katana blades and slicing a candle, balancing the tip on one sword before blowing it out. Samantha smiled to herself. It was an exercise that she and her father had done many times before so she could understand the importance of stealth. From somewhere, there was light and she gasped as she saw a three-fingered, tall turtle with a blue bandana tied across his eyes, holding the stub of the candle, swords strapped to his shell. Then, she saw three others, one wearing a red bandana with sais in his belt, another wearing an orange bandana with nunchucks in his belt, and the third wearing a purple bandana with a bo staff across his shell.

"Well done, Leonardo," said another voice in a calm, scholarly voice to the blue bandana turtle. A giant, gray rat appeared wearing a brown robe and carrying a walking stick. He was smiling.

"Teacher's pet," the red bandana turtle muttered.

"Ninja dropout," Leonardo replied. The other two turtles went "OOOOO…" as Leonardo and the red bandana turtle stood face to face, looking ready to fight.

"My sons!" the rat cried out, stepping in between the two. "My sons." The image disappeared and Samantha was staring back at her own reflection as well as that of Yoshi's.

"So, which one of them is it?" Samantha inquired as Yoshi turned away from the waters of the Seer's Eye. "Which one of them is my protector, Yoshi?

"You have seen many possibilities, but you have also seen the only possibility," Yoshi replied, tucking his hands inside the wide sleeves of his robe.

"For once, Yoshi, can't you make something in life sound less complicated?" she teased. Her mystic and friend smiled.

"If life were to be simple and plain, then you could never grow and become stronger," he answered. "Challenges are sometimes placed in our path to help us, not necessarily to hinder us. Now, think princess. Who was the very first one of them you saw?"

"The one called Leonardo. He was in the shadows, and…Yoshi, **he's** supposed to protect the Amulet of Bushido? **He's** supposed to protect** me**?"

"You sound surprised."

"Well…I was expecting someone more…more…"

"More like you and me?"

"Well…yes."

"My dearest princess and friend, the Heads have never been wrong before. Just because someone is not like us, it does not mean that they are not of use to us. I have seen many things in this warrior that you have not."

"What do you mean, Yoshi?"

"He has the heart of a great warrior. He has the highest sense of truth and honor in battle. His skills grow stronger and stronger. He is disciplined, courageous, and can see the good in even those we would cast aside and call our enemies."

"He sounds so much like…like…" Samantha broke off and stared down at the cold, stone floor of Yoshi's room. Without another word, the young but wise mystic put a gentle hand on the princess's shoulder.

"Do not despair, my friend. For though his body was destroyed, his spirit will live on. He will be with you through all the dangers you, the Protector, and his brothers will face. I know this. Do not doubt me."

"Yoshi, my friend, how can I doubt your words? You have been my faithful friend and a dear comfort to me. I will miss you."

"And I will miss you as well, Princess Samantha Bushido. Now, it is time for you to prepare for your journey. Go. I must speak to your uncle about something."

Samantha nodded and then held the amulet aloft in her hand. There was a flash of bright light and a second later, she was standing in her room. She approached the huge bed, comfortable and soft. Above the bed head, on its hooks, lay her wakizashi. It was a smaller version of the katana blade, but not by much. A much more convenient weapon for the samurai, the handle of hers was wrapped in red and black cloth with a matching scabbard with a thick leather strap that she could wear across her back. Taking it down from its pegs, Samantha unsheathed the blade and studied its beautiful but deadly blade. She smiled and then sheathed it again, throwing the strap across her back.

"Just one more stop to make," she said to herself as she dressed herself in a black battle suit with a red, metallic belt. She tied her shoulder-length, chestnut-colored hair in a high ponytail and lashed a black mask across her face. She exited her room and stole down one of the long hallways of the palace. Finally, she reached a statue of Buddha which sat in front of a plain, red wall. She reached out and touched the statue's hand. Instantly, the statue slid to the side, revealing a long, torch-lit passageway. Summoning all her courage, Samantha began walking down the secret passageway.

Although the torches were lit with warm flames, the air felt colder than usual as Samantha continued walking down the secret hallway. Very few people in the palace knew that this place existed, and it was a good thing. Samantha didn't need enemies coming to steal the priceless treasure that lay within the main room. A wooden door blocked her path, a key still in its ancient lock. Without hesitation she turned it and heard the familiar click as the door swung open.

Torches sprang to life, illuminating the blood red walls and towering marble pillars that kept the room steady. Golden dragons wrapped around the pillars as Samantha reverently approached the two, twin sarcophagi in the center of the room. Silently, she approached them and placed her hand on the first stone slab under which lay her father, Bushido, founder and defender of the code of martial arts which he had devised. It would be almost five years since his death.

"Most Honorable Father, I must leave you and Mother and travel to New York City," she told him, as if he could still hear her. "The Heads are worried about the Great Evil and have appointed a turtle named Leonardo to protect the Amulet of Bushido and me from him. I will not dishonor you, and I will abide by the code that you yourself have devised for ninja to live honorable, long lives and be worthy of winning in battle with honor and truth. And I vow that when the time comes, your death will be avenged. Goodbye, Father. I will not forget you."

She then turned and placed her hand on the second one.

"Honorable Mother, you gave me life. I only wish you had lived to see me grow. I will miss you."

"Princess!" a voice called out urgently. The young woman turned and saw Yoshi standing at the doorway of the crypt of her parents. "You must leave now, Princess! The Protector and his brothers! They are in trouble! You must help them!"

"Show me, Yoshi!" commanded the young royal. Yoshi immediately summoned a vision and Samantha could see ninjas with inverted dragon's claws in red surrounding Leonardo and his brothers. Her blood boiled at the sight of the symbol. That symbol and everything it stood for had cost her dearly. And anyone who wore it would perish under her blade.

"Are those guys…ninjas?" Leonardo inquired, holding his katana blades.

"Well, they certainly are ninja-esque," the orange bandana turtle said in a voice that reminded Samantha of the surfers she'd met in California one summer.

"They will not last long, my friend," Yoshi warned. "Here. Take this." Yoshi handed her a rolled-up piece of parchment, closed with red wax and sealed with the insignia of the emperor. "It is for their master. His name is Splinter. Ask Leonardo to take you to him and then give him this. It will explain everything."

"Yes, Yoshi."

"And not a word about the _tengu_ to the Protector or his brothers until it is the right time."

"But Yoshi…!"

"Go!"

Heaving a sigh, Samantha lifted the amulet into the air with one hand and closed her eyes, concentrating on the alley where the four turtles and the ninjas were fighting. There was a flash of bright light, and she was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

Samantha Bushido is not only the daughter of the founder of ninjutsu, but also possesses a powerful amulet that could destroy humanity. One of the Turtles has been ordained to protect her. But will her love for 2 turtles bring about the end of the world?

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! I wish I did, but Eastman and Laird have that privilege! All O/C are mine though!

Chapter Two

Samantha found herself standing on a rooftop that overlooked an alley. She gazed all around her at the tall buildings which seemed so foreign to her after living a sheltered life in a palace in the remote hills of western Japan. Of course, she'd seen skyscrapers and office buildings on her visits and shopping trips to Tokyo. But she always felt as though she'd stepped into another world when she did. Even though she wore Western clothes and had the latest technology, she always felt like an outsider.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught movement. Two, black-cloaked ninjas wearing the colors of her enemy leapt down into the alley, completing the circle of ninjas that surrounded four, huge Turtles. She spotted Leonardo right away, katana blades drawn and crossed in an X, teeth gritted, eyes focused. His brothers stood nearby in a tight circle, shells touching, weapons drawn and ready to be used. Reaching over her shoulder, Samantha unsheathed her wakizashi and leapt off the rooftop. Doing a back flip in mid-air, she landed in front of Leonardo, her blade glittering in the moonlight as she held it in a parallel position.

"Who the shell is that?" she heard one of the Turtles whisper, the surfer's tone to his voice telling her that it was the orange-bandana turtle.

"I don't know," another replied. "But whoever they are, I hope they're on our side!"

"Friend or foe?" Leonardo demanded. She turned and faced him, her chestnut-colored eyes locking with his blue mask.

"Fortunately for you…friend," she answered, turning away from him.

"Be ready for anything," Leonardo cautioned as he crossed his katana blades.

"I am **so** gonna enjoy this," chuckled the red bandana turtle, twirling a sai in one of his hands.

"So, the heir is alive and well," one of the ninja said, staring at the amulet that hung from Samantha's neck. "As is the Amulet. Hand it over. Now!"

"I'll give you this amulet when I'm cold in the ground!" Samantha snapped angrily.

With a war cry, she threw hers elf into the circle of ninjas, slicing and kicking wherever she could. Split kicks, aerial kicks, phoenix and dragon punches, and of course, her wakizashi. She struck down one last ninja in a circle of twenty and looked around at the four turtles. Leonardo and his brothers were skillful, but the ninjas had an edge on them…a slight one, but an edge all the same. Samantha leapt from battle to battle, helping Leonardo's brothers wherever she could. She sensed they were puzzled about her appearance, but that would have to wait until later.

Samantha leapt into Leonardo's fray just as a ninja was about to strike from behind with a katana. Katana clashed with wakizashi as Samantha's blade halted its brother not a moment too soon, much to the turtle's surprise. Back-to-shell with the turtle who was appointed to be her Protector, she pushed up hard and landed a roundhouse kick before leaping into the air and doing a split kick that sent two enemy ninja flying in opposite directions. She landed lightly like a cat and almost giggled at the ninja's look of amazement. She was the daughter of Bushido for crying out loud! She had to be able to defend herself at least **somewhat**.

"Thank you," Leonardo told her, bowing. She bowed back.

"Leonardo, you must…," she began, but the next thing she knew, she was knocked flat to the ground, Leonardo's body hovering over hers. She peered over his shoulder and saw several shurikens wedged firmly in the wall where she had been standing a second ago. Turning her gaze to the rooftops, she saw three ninjas standing there, staring at the pair. She gritted her teeth.

"Are you alright?" Leonardo asked, standing up and extending a hand to her.

"I'm fine," she answered, taking hold of his hand and allowing him to haul her to her feet. Just then, her foot slipped on a loose piece of shingle and she tripped forward into the turtle's chest. His arms instinctively closed around her and they looked up into each other's eyes. All she could see were the white parts. She wondered what his real eyes looked like. The two immediately stepped apart, Samantha feeling her cheeks turn red with embarrassment at the thought of tripping over a stupid shingle.

"Thank you, Leonardo-san," she said gratefully, bowing.

"How do you know my name?" he inquired, looking puzzled.

"I'll explain later," she responded. "But right now, I need to speak with Splinter. I have something for him."

"Why do you need to speak with my sensei?" Leo asked, folding his arms across his chest. She couldn't help but notice the muscles in his arms. He was strong. She'd felt it when his arms had wrapped around her, too.

"I can't tell you that," Samantha answered. She saw the skeptical look on his face. "Please, Leonardo!" she pleaded. "You have to trust me! I'm not here to harm you, your brothers or your sensei! In fact: I need your help!"

"What do you mean?"

Samantha opened her mouth to answer, but just then, the roar of an engine interrupted her. She and Leonardo both looked down and saw that an armored truck had come to life again, with the purple bandana turtle in the driver's seat.

"Leo! We're getting out of here! Come on!" the purple bandana turtle yelled up to his brother. The blue bandana turtle looked back into Samantha's eye, as if searching them for any sign of deceit. Then, Leo grabbed Samantha's hand and jumped down from the roof, scrambling inside the armored truck. The truck swerved back and forth, crashing into trash cans and parked cars.

"Nice driving, Don!" the orange bandana turtle scoffed. "For a turtle with no license!"

"Hey! Do you want pretty? Or do you want effective?" the turtle named Don asked from the driver's seat. It was then that the red-bandana turtle noticed Samantha in their midst.

"Hey! What's that ninja person doing here?" he demanded, his hands reaching for his sais. Leonardo immediately stepped in front of Samantha, shielding her from his brother's potential attack.

"He…she…whoever they are needs to speak with Master Splinter," Leonardo replied firmly.

"And you bought that load o' crud?" the red bandana turtle spat angrily. "Whoever dark, tall and ninja is, they could be trying to do us all in!"

At that moment, Samantha undid the black mask that covered almost her entire face.

"Let's get one thing straight, right now," she informed them as Leonardo turned and stared along with the red bandana turtle and the orange bandana turtle. The purple bandana turtle stared in the mirror above the dashboard. "I'm a girl. The girl who just jumped into your fight and saved your sorry butts! So, now that my gender's been settled, who the heck are you guys?"

"Well, you already know my name is Leonardo," Leo informed her. "You can just call me Leo. The turtle with the short fuse is my brother, Raphael," he said, pointing to the red bandana turtle. "He also goes by Raph."

"Or Hothead," the orange bandana turtle snickered. Raph hit him in the head hard, causing him to rub his skull.

"The funny turtle here is Michelangelo," Leo continued, pointing next to the orange bandana turtle.

"Also your brother, right?" Samantha asked. Leo nodded.

"That's a matter of opinion," Raphael added, smiling.

"Ignore the ugly turtle of the family. You can just call me Mikey, Mikester, or Awesome!" Mikey told Samantha, which caused her to smile. Raph couldn't help but notice that she had a very beautiful smile.

"And the turtle without a license is Donatello," Leo said, jerking his head in the direction of the purple bandana turtle who was driving.

"Call me Don," he told her, not taking his eyes off the road for a minute. "Or Donny." Donny? How…cute.

"So now that you know us, who are **you**?" Mikey asked.

"And what are you doing in New York?" Raph demanded.

"And what's with you and those ninjas? You acted like you knew them or something," Don added from the driver's seat.

"Guys! Guys! Easy with the questions," Leo advised, glancing at Samantha to ensure that she wasn't overwhelmed.

"My name's Samantha. You can just call me Sam or Sammy," she replied, loosening her ponytail and shaking her hair out. "As for your other two questions, I can't answer them right now. But believe me, when the time comes, I'll tell you guys everything."

"And why should we believe that?" Raph growled, reaching for his sais.

"Raph!" Leo snapped, glaring at his brother. Raph folded his arms and muttered sullenly.

"Wow. This has been one major bizarre night," Mikey commented, trying to break the unpleasant air between his brother and Samantha. "First, those robot things trash our lair."

"Then Little Miss Ninja appears out of nowhere," Raph continued, glaring at Samantha.

"And saves our shells," Leo added, shooting Sam an apologetic look.

"And what's with all those ninjas?" Mikey went on. "I mean…ninjas in New York City besides us? It's just not right." Just then, Mikey caught sight of the amulet around Sam's neck. "Nice necklace. Where'd ya buy it?"

"I didn't buy it!" she snapped angrily, causing Raph, Leo and Mikey to shoot each other looks of confusion. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "It's just…this amulet...it's…it's a family heirloom."

"Must be pretty precious for you ta go off like that," Raph commented, his eyes fixed on the sapphire dragon.

"Yeah," Sam agreed halfheartedly. "It's really precious." _Only if you don't want the entire world to be destroyed by a snarling, forty-foot demon! _she added silently. She noticed Leo give her a strange look, as if he could almost detect that there was more to her amulet than she was letting on.

"Um, Sam? Can I ask you something?" Don inquired.

"Sure, Don."

"How come you're not afraid of us? I mean, most humans would've run away screaming after seeing what we are."

"I've seen stranger creatures before, Don…though none with as impressive skills in ninjutsu as you four."

"Your skills aren't half bad either," Leo told her. She felt her spirits rise a little at the sound of the warmth in his voice.

"Coming from you, Leonardo, I'll take that as a compliment," she replied, smiling.

"And it ain't dat often he compliments anyone but himself," Raph told her bluntly. Leo glared at Raph who simply glared back at him. Samantha moved closer to Mikey.

"Are they always so…?" she began to ask, but couldn't find the right word to describe what she was seeing between Leo and Raph.

"Oh yeah," Mikey chuckled. "Ever since we were kids."

Finally, Don smashed through a pair of iron gates and drove down a tunnel which led into the sewers. The giant rat she'd seen earlier was kneeling close to the wall when the truck stopped and the Turtles and Samantha leapt out, crowding around it. Samantha stood beside the truck, not wanting to ruin their family moment.

"Master Splinter. So much has happened to us today," Leo told him. Sam's ears perked up. So, the rat was Splinter. Well, that would make her job a lot easier.

"Yes. Yes. There will be time to me all about it later," Master Splinter chuckled. "For now…" He broke off when he noticed the chestnut-haired girl standing beside the armored truck. "Who is this girl?" he demanded furiously. "Haven't I told you kids a thousand times not to…?"

"Please, Splinter-san," Samantha quickly interjected, taking out the letter from Yoshi. "It is you I wished to see. Your sons merely brought me here to fulfill the request of an old friend. This is for you." She handed the sealed letter to the rat who broke the seal, read the letter and widened his eyes in shock. He looked back up at Samantha and walked over to her. He took the amulet in his paw and studied it carefully.

"As the prophecy foretold," he whispered silently so that only she and he could hear him. Then, he turned to his sons. "My sons, you have met royalty this day! This is Princess Samantha Bushido, a descendent of the royal family of Japan."

"Princess?" Don gasped.

"Bushido?" Leo repeated in amazement.

"Royal family?" Raph and Mikey shouted at the same time. "Jinx!" Mikey added, punching Raph. Raph growled and folded his arms across his chest.

"Yeah, I kind of forgot to mention that," Samantha confessed, smiling shyly.

"So, you're a descendant of the founder of the ninjitsu code?" Leo questioned, his voice sounding pleasantly surprised. Sam nodded and looked away modestly. She didn't really like it when people made a fuss over her lineage.

"You will be welcome in our home as an honored guest, Princess Bushido-san," Splinter intoned solemnly, bowing. "Please. Forgive my harsh tone with you earlier." Sam smiled and nodded.

"Home?" Mikey repeated, looking at his brothers in confusion.

"But we ain't got a home, Sensei!" Raph reminded him. "Those robot things tore our place to bits! Remember?"

"I think I have found a solution to our current housing problem," Splinter informed them. "Follow me."

"I'd love to come, but my Uncle Kenji is expecting me," Sam stated. "He's probably freaking out right about now." Donatello stepped forward and placed a small device in her hand.

"It's a Shell-cell," Don explained. "It's like a cell phone, but way easier to use. Just press this button, and you'll call any one of us automatically. If you ever need us, we'll be there."

"Thank you, Donatello," Sam said, smiling. "This is so sweet of you." Don smiled back. The two of them just stood there, smiling and looking into each other's eyes.

"I hope we'll see you again, Princess," Leo broke in, smiling.

"Count on it, Leonardo-san," Sam replied, winking at the leader of the group. Then, she held her amulet in the air with one hand. There was a flash of bright light and then Sam was gone.

"Whoa!" Mikey breathed.

"Master Splinter. What the shell was that all about?" Raph asked.

"Patience my sons," Splinter counseled. "When the time is right, all will be revealed. For now, come. I wish to show you something." And with that, Splinter led them to what would become their new home.

_Meanwhile at Foot Ninja Headquarters..._

"You have good news, I trust?" Oroku Saki demanded in his raspy voice to the two, Foot soldiers who knelt before him. He had just dealt with the Purple Dragons' leader for losing the armored truck with his stolen money. For their sake, these two better have good news.

"Yes, Master," one replied. "The Amulet of Bushido is here in New York City."

"Excellent! Who possesses it?" he asked them.

"A young girl," the other answered. "A Bushido no doubt, master."

"Find her!" he commanded. "Bring her and the Amulet to me." The ninjas bowed and then disappeared. Saki stood up from the table and smiled evilly.

"After years of searching and destruction, the Amulet of Bushido will soon be mine!" he told himself. "She will unlock its secrets. She will release a power so great, so terrifying, that the world will bow at my feet! And if she refuses…" Putting on a metal gauntlet, he sliced through the table, indicating the fate the young girl would meet if she refused.


	3. Chapter 3

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

Samantha Bushido is not only the daughter of the founder of ninjutsu, but also possesses a powerful amulet that could destroy humanity. One of the Turtles has been ordained to protect her. But will her love for 2 turtles bring about the end of the world?

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! I wish I did, but Eastman and Laird have that privilege! All O/C are mine though!

Chapter Three

Samantha awoke the next morning in her new, spacious room. Through the gold canopy curtains of her bed, she marveled at the fine furnishings of her room. Huge armoire for a bunch of new clothes her uncle had bought before her arrival (Yoshi had, of course, informed him of her tastes), king-sized bed, private bathroom with a Jacuzzi and her own balcony, which gave her a beautiful view of her uncle's prized rose garden. There was a knock at the door and after a brief, "Come in", Timothy Kenji, Samantha's uncle and her mother's brother, stepped into the room.

With the same chestnut hair that many had told her she'd inherited from her mother, Uncle Kenji was tall with deep-sea blue eyes and a small goatee. He had a deep voice tinged with the hint of a Japanese accent. He was one of the most successful businessmen in the country, and thankfully, had a trustworthy team of executives to handle things for a while so that he could help his niece get settled.

He was also a skilled martial arts fighter, having trained in a secret ninja academy in the Japanese countryside which had been headed by her father. He seldom spoke of what had occurred that fateful day when her father had been murdered, as he'd blamed himself for failing to protect his brother-in-law, even though Samantha now knew nothing could have saved him.

"Good morning, my cherry blossom," he greeted, sitting at the foot of his niece's bed. Samantha smiled. It was the same name he'd used to call her mother, or so he'd told her last night after she arrived. They had spent some time talking, but he'd insisted that she go to sleep because she would be starting her first day at NYU today.

"Morning, Uncle Kenji," Sam replied, stretching and yawning.

"I hope you are well-rested, my young niece," her uncle continued. "You do have a full day of classes. She smiled and tried not to groan. Yoshi had contacted the school a few weeks before she'd left, and, after agreeing to pay a large sum on top of her tuition, she'd been accepted and had selected her classes.

"Now, go and get ready," her uncle instructed. "I have a town car waiting to drive you to school. Meanwhile, I have to deal with Presidents and CEOs who think they can run this company better than me. Have a good day, Sam." With that, he left the room, closing the door behind him.

Sam showered, washed and blow-dried her hair, and then put on a pair of black, boot-cut jeans with a red, off-the-shoulder top, and red flats. Grabbing her backpack which contained all her school supplies as well as her Shell-cell and wallet, Samantha hurried down into the kitchen, grabbed an apple from the fridge and ran outside to where a black, town car sat parked in the circular driveway. A young man of about thirty was standing beside the rear passenger door, hands folded behind his back.

"Good morning, Miss Bushido," he greeted warmly, bowing slightly. "My name is Kenji. I am the family driver. Are you ready to leave?"

"Yes, Kenji. Thank you," she replied as Kenji opened the door for her, and she slid in. She felt like she was in a limo. The windows were tinted. A mini-fridge was in the corner behind the driver's seat and the seats were made of leather. There was also a divider that would come in handy when she called the Turtles.

The door closed and Kenji was soon in the front seat, steering the car out of the driveway and through the streets of Westchester County towards the city. Stealthily, she pressed a button and the partition rose, separating her from Kenji. She hadn't told her uncle about the Turtles yet. Come to think of it, Uncle Kenji hadn't even mentioned the Amulet or the Protector all last night when they were talking. Perhaps he hadn't wanted to overwhelm her on her first night staying with him.

Removing her Shell-cell from her backpack, she pressed the button and it quickly selected the first number. She put the phone to her ear and listened as it rung.

"Hello?" a groggy voice on the other end answered.

"Rise and shine, sleepy turtle!" she chirped. "It's a beautiful morning in the Big Apple, Donatello!"

"Sam?" Don immediately brightened at the sound of her voice.

"The one and only. How are you?"

"Tired. Master Splinter made us clean the entire lair yesterday. It was not fun."

"Is cleaning anything **ever** fun?"

"Point taken. But you should see it! It's gonna be** so** awesome when we finish it! So, what's up with you?"

"Just heading off for my first day at NYU."

"Oh." Sam heard the disappointment in his voice.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just…I was hoping you'd wanna hang out with me and my brothers today. We've still got a bit of cleaning to do, but it wouldn't have taken us very long. And we could maybe watch a horror movie or something. Together. I mean…you and me and my brothers. That's what I meant. Not that I don't wanna hang out with you alone! I do! I mean…ugh…!"

Sam laughed. "I understand, Don. I only have class until 2 today. We could hang out after that."

"Cool! There's an alley behind NYU's Montaigne Humanities Building. Go down the manhole there, and I'll come with the Sewer Slider to pick you up and bring you to the lair. Is that OK?"

"I have my last class there, so sure. But how will you find me with all those tunnels?"

"The Shell-cells have GPS tracking chips installed in them. All I have to do is follow your signal."

"Donatello, you're amazing!" She couldn't see the huge blush that crept onto his face as he smiled and looked up at the ceiling of his room. He didn't know why his heart was beating so fast. She wasn't even anywhere near him. But he felt thrilled that he'd been the first person she'd called. Of course, ensuring that his number was first on her list of contacts hadn't hurt either.

"Cool. I'll see you then. Have fun at school."

"I'll try. Bye."

"Bye." Don hung up, and then rolled over onto his stomach. He'd sleep for another hour and then start getting the place fixed up for their guest. _She thinks I'm amazing!_ Don thought to himself happily as he drifted back into a deep sleep.

Sam smiled to herself as the black, town car pulled up to NYU and Kenji opened the door for her.

Mikey groaned as he was adjusting one of the many TV sets that were stacked upon one another for their entertainment system.

"What's the matter, Mikey?" Don asked from above his brother. He was welding a few pipes to make sure they were secure. It was already 12 o'clock, and he was anxious to finish fixing the place up. "Can't decide what to watch?"

"I need more power, Captain!" Mikey declared, putting the last set into place. "The Turtle Cave must be amped for maximum entertainment potential!" With that, he grabbed the remote, switched on the televisions, and was met with a loud roar from a monster movie playing on TV. The sound system was working better than ever.

"The Turtle Cave?" Don scoffed, lowering himself down. "That is **so** lame!"

"Oh yeah, Professor Obvious?" Mikey countered. "What would **you** call our new digs? The Shell-ter?"

"How about The Sewer of Solitude?"

"The Hall of Nin-justice!"

"The School for Gifted Reptiles?"

"Terrapin Station!"

Master Splinter gave a pointed cough and rose from the couch where he was sitting. Mikey and Don stopped arguing and looked over at their sensei.

"**We** will call this place…home," he ruled in his serious, calm tone.

"Catchy," Mikey agreed, smiling.

"Hopefully, Samantha finds it catchy too," Don said aloud.

"Sammy's coming here?" Mikey asked in shock.

"I kind of invited her over to…" Don began, but was cut off by Mikey's whoop of joy.

"YAHOO!" Mikey began doing back flips and cheering. Just then, the Sewer Slider came cruising in with Raph and Leo. They'd gone to retrieve whatever was salvageable from their old home after the attack.

"What's with Mikey?" Leo asked, noticing his brother cheering and doing back flips all over the Lair.

"Yeah. He's acting even crazier than usual," Raph agreed.

"Mikey!" Leo called. Mikey stopped and turned to his brother. Leo reached into the Sewer Slider and took out a box of movies, twirling them on his index finger. "Good news! Your DVD collection survived!" He tossed the box to Mikey, who caught it with ease.

"Awesome!" he cheered. "Now, help me find something light on "story" and heavy on "gory"! Hope Sammy doesn't mind blood and guts!"

"Samantha's coming over?" Leo questioned in shock.

"Yeah. Donny invited her," Mikey answered. Leo turned to his younger brother.

"Have you cleared this with Master Splinter?" he inquired, crossing his arms over his chest and giving Don a hard look.

"I…I was going to, but I…I guess I just…forgot," stammered Don, trying not to blush at the thought of Samantha.

"My son. Sometimes, we become so enrapt in the good we do that we forget what is truly important," Master Splinter intoned wisely. "There is nothing wrong with a good heart, but a true warrior finds balance in all things."

"I understand, Sensei," Don replied, bowing. "I apologize for not having sought out your permission first. Master Splinter, is it alright with you if Samantha comes to the Lair to watch a movie with us?"

"Assuming that you boys can get the Lair fixed up in time, then, yes," Master Splinter replied, smiling. "Princess Bushido will be a welcome guest in our home anytime she wishes to come."

"YYYIIIIIPPPEEEEE!" Mikey shouted joyfully, doing a crazy dance in front of the couch.

"**Someone's** happy to be seeing Princess Samantha again," Leo whispered to Raph, smirking. Unfortunately, it wasn't silent enough to escape Mikey's ear, who stopped dancing and started smirking.

"That's ironic, Leo…considering **you** were the Turtle who couldn't shut up about her last night the entire time we were cleaning!"

"Was not!" Leo retorted, turning beet-red.

"Was too!" Mikey snickered. "You kept going on and on about her!"

"I just found it interesting that she's the descendant of the founder of our code!" Leo argued. "And besides, we haven't exactly met royalty before. How is she getting here?"

"I'm picking her up at school," Don answered. "She has her last class at Montaigne Humanities Building. There's a manhole in an alley behind the building."

"Enough with the technicalities, bros!" Mikey declared. "Let's choose a movie before she gets here! Now, what are we thinking?"

"_The Grudge_," Don suggested. "That movie puts the "horror" in "horror movie"!"

"No way," Raph countered. "_Texas Chainsaw Massacre_. The last time I watched _The Grudge_, I couldn't sleep for a week!"

"You're both nuts! _Saw _is the ultimate horror movie!" Mikey jumped in. "Nothing says "horror" like blood and guts spewing everywhere!"

"Well, I guess it's Leader's vote," Leo observed.

"Come on, Leo!" Don pleaded. "We've watched _Texas Chainsaw Massacre _almost a dozen times! I can practically predict when someone's gonna get killed!"

"Leo. The last time we watched _The Grudge_, I ended up sleeping in **your** room for that week. Remember?" Raphael added.

"You came. You _Saw_." Mikey joked. "Right?"

"Saw what?" Leo asked.

"Hmm. Good point. Which one of them is the scariest?" Mikey pondered aloud, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"How about we let Samantha pick the movie?" Leo suggested. "I mean, she will be our guest and all."

"Anything ta avoid one o' us hating ya, huh Leo," Raph said gruffly.

"It's called "courtesy", Raph," Leo threw back, walking off to his room. "Look it up some time."

""It's called courtesy, Raph. Look it up some time."" Raph mimicked, snorting and then walking off to his punching bag, leaving Mikey and Don alone together.

"Let's hope those two don't fight in front of Sam," Don said to his youngest brother.

"Knowing them, Don…that's **not** gonna happen," Mikey reminded him.

"Hey! Wait up!" a voice called to Samantha. She turned around and saw a girl running after her across the quad. Sam had just been heading to her Psychology class at Montaigne Humanities Building. She stopped and allowed to catch up to her.

"Thanks!" she panted. "I…was just…wondering…" She took several deep breaths before her voice finally steadied. "Do you have psychology with Professor Ruffington next at Montaigne?"

"Yeah."

"Oh my gosh! We should sit together! I haven't met **anyone** here who doesn't look like a stuck-up bitch or some play-boy jerk!"

"Oh my gosh! Neither have **I**! I'm Samantha Bushido!"

"Olivia Fernandez." Olivia was about an inch or two shorter than Samantha's 5'9 with raven-black hair that kissed the small of her back, hazelnut-brown eyes, and a slim, willowy figure. Her face was a perfect oval, with a small nose in the center and red, Cupid's-bow lips. Her skin was a light shade of brown. She wore white, skinny jeans with a gold-colored halter top and gold, gladiator sandals. A heart-shaped pendant sparkling with diamonds hung around her neck while gold, hoop earrings hung from her ears, almost touching her shoulders. At that moment, Samantha felt a twinge of envy flood through her. Olivia was gorgeous. She was just…plain.

"Um…Samantha, sorry if this sounds random, but can I tell you something?"

"Sure. I guess."

"Like, don't take this the wrong way or anything, Samantha, but you're, like, a frickin' gorgeous babe!" Olivia told her.

"You're serious?"

"Yeah! The guys behind me in Feruge's English lecture couldn't stop talking about how hot you looked. Then, they started hitting on me, saying that the two, hottest girls in English must be best friends or something."

"You have Feruge for English, too?"

"Oh my gosh, yes! 10 a.m., right?" Sam nodded. Olivia bobbed up and down on her toes.

"We should compare schedules later!" She looked at her watch. "But right now, we'd better get going, or we won't get good seats in Montaigne!"

Arm in arm, the two, new friends headed off for their class together.

"OK. Got it. Thanks, April," Mikey said before hanging up. He stowed his Shell-cell away and then walked out of the kitchen and into Don's lab. The genius turtle was working on something on the table. Mikey quietly crept up behind his brother like the ninja he was.

"Whatcha doing, Donny?" Mikey asked loudly in his ear. Don jumped three feet in the air before whipping around and seeing his mischievous brother behind him, grinning.

"Mikey! Don't do that! You scared the shell out of me!"

"Sorry. April's bringing over pizza for the horror movie in about half an hour."

"Half an hour? Mikey, what time is it?"

"Umm… let's see. It's…."

"It's 1:40 in the afternoon, Don," a voice answered. Mikey and Don turned. Leo was standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. "Shouldn't you be picking a certain young lady up from school?"

"Oh my gosh! Samantha! Shell, I'm gonna be late! Thanks Leo! I gotta go get ready!" With that, Don sprinted out of the lab, almost knocking over both Mikey and Leo.

"Get ready? What's with Don?" Mikey asked his eldest brother.

"I have no idea, Mikey," Leo answered, rubbing his chin. "No idea at all."

"And with that, I'll see you all next week!" Professor Ruffington ended, earning a smattering round of applause from his students. The lecture hall came to life as students chatted, papers and books rustled, and laptops were powered down and packed away.

"I can't **believe** we have a whole two chapters to read for the next class!" Olivia whined.

"I know!" Samantha groaned, zipping up her backpack. "And I made plans with some friends to hang out at their place and watch a horror movie."

"Really? Are they guys or girls?"

"Guys. Four of them. All brothers."

"Oh my god! That is **so** cool! What are their names?"

"Louis, Ralph, David and Mike."

"How do you know them?"

"They...um... saved me from these…muggers."

"Wow! So, are they cute?"

"'Liv, shut up!" Samantha laughed, smacking her friend's arm as they walked out of Montaigne and past a group of five boys, who started wolf-whistling at them. She ignored them and walked towards the back of the building. Thankfully, there was a side street close to the student residence where Olivia lived, so she wouldn't be too curious as to why they were heading in that direction. "I don't really know them that well yet. I mean, I know they'd never hurt me or anything, but personality wise, it's too soon. Plus, they're kind of…_different_ from normal guys."

"Girl, that's a blessing, not a curse! But I gotta get going. Hey! Lemme give you my cell number so that you can call me later and tell me all about your little "horror movie date" with **four **guys."

"Alright, 'Liv." Without thinking, she pulled out the Shell-cell.

"Is **that** your phone?" Samantha looked down and immediately cursed herself for being so stupid. She needed an answer and fast.

"Yeah. David made it for me." _Wait, what?_

"Wow. He actually **made** that? He must be a genius!"

"Yeah. I think so, too."

"Wow! OK! Here's my number!" Quickly, Samantha managed to add Olivia's number to her Contacts before waving goodbye to her new friend. Then, checking both ways to see that no one was around, she removed the manhole cover from the sewer grate nearby and climbed down, replacing the cover.

"Man! This place stinks!" Samantha shouted, coughing on the smelly air of the sewer as she climbed down the ladder. Her feet finally hit the dirty, murky water, soaking her feet and ruining her flats. _Great! I haven't even been in New York a full day, and already I ruined a good pair of shoes! Now, where's Donatello?_

Ten minutes went by. Then twenty minutes. Then thirty. Where could he be? Maybe she should start walking. But which direction was the Lair even in? She couldn't wander around in the sewers. She'd get lost too easily. Maybe she should call him or something.

Suddenly, a humming noise filled the tunnels. It seemed to be coming from her right. Just then, she saw a pair of lights heading towards her. As they drew closer, she could see a huge, jeep-like vehicle soaring towards her. A huge, green turtle with a purple bandana across his eyes was at the helm driving. She smiled to herself. Better late than never.


	4. Chapter 4

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

Samantha Bushido is not only the daughter of the founder of ninjutsu, but also possesses a powerful amulet that could destroy humanity. One of the Turtles has been ordained to protect her. But will her love for 2 turtles bring about the end of the world?

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! I wish I did, but Eastman and Laird have that privilege! All O/C are mine though!

Chapter Four

Don glided the Sewer Slider to a halt right beside Samantha. He looked at her and smiled.

"Hey, Sam! Sorry I'm late!"

"Better late than never, Donny!"He quickly hopped out and led her around the Sewer Slider to the passenger's side. He held out a three-fingered hand, which she took. It was almost as if Don had been shocked by an electrical current when their palms touched. Sam felt something flow through her too as she allowed Don to help her into the Sewer Slider. She quickly strapped in and felt Don's presence beside her in the driver's seat before she turned and saw him physically sitting there.

"How did you…?"she began to ask.

"I'm a ninja, Sam. Remember? Stealth and speed are what we're good at."

"Right. So, how long will it take us to get to your place?"

"You'll see." Don smiled and then revved up the Sewer Slider. At first, they were just driving along, but as Don accelerated, the car felt as though it was being lifted off the ground. Finally, Samantha peered over the side and saw that the floor of the sewer was about three feet below them. They were flying! Don reached a roundabout and did a full 180 turn before zooming back along the same tunnel he'd picked up Samantha at. Samantha whooped and laughed with delight as her hair whipped back from the lashing winds. Don looked at her and smiled. She looked gorgeous, her chestnut locks being whipped back by the wind, the red shirt ruffling in the wind, exposing her smooth shoulders. He wanted to reach out and just feel the softness of her skin under his hand. Don quickly looked away. He couldn't think like that. Not with this girl. She was royalty. Ninja royalty. And royalty didn't get involved with mutants.

"Donatello, you're seriously the most amazing guy I've ever met!" Samantha shouted happily. Don's cheeks turned bright red as he blushed. Royalty shmoalty! She called him amazing. _Again_. Normally, if girls ever took an interest in him and his brothers, Leo and Raph were the ones who got most, if not all, of the attention. Not that he was jealous of his older brothers. He was happy to see them happy. But at times, he wished that he didn't feel so lonely. He did have something like his brothers; Mikey had his comics, Leo had his training, and Raph had his punching bag. And Don had his lab. But sometimes, technology couldn't fill the void in his heart that he felt whenever he heard Raph or Leo talking to a girl on the phone. He wanted to feel what they often expressed they felt: the anxiety, the devotion, the passion. But who was he kidding. He was a techno geek. And geeks didn't get beautiful girls like tough guys or leaders.

"We're almost there," he said to Sam. Finally, they reached a dead end and Donatello powered down the Sewer Slider before leaping out and heading to an old valve for a pipe. He turned it, and it opened a secret keypad. He pressed some musical-sounding keys, and suddenly, the brick wall in front of them opened up like a pair of doors in a high-tech lab, and Samantha saw a huge, dome-like room emerge from hiding. Don was back in the driver's seat and cruised into the Lair, landing right beside a huge pool that looked more like a lake. No doubt it was sewer water, but hey. Having a pool indoors was a perk.

"Welcome to our home, Sam," Don told her, as he got out of the driver's seat and leapt over the vehicle to her side. He held out his hand again as she unstrapped herself and took his hand to get out. But her foot ended up tangled in the belt, and she tripped, flying into Don's plastron. His arms quickly closed around her, and he held her tightly to ensure that she didn't the hard floor of the Lair. In his arms, Sam felt a strange sense of safety come over her. And Don felt a sort of protective drive kick in when he held her tightly to him.

"Are you OK, Sam?"

"I…I think so." She managed to maneuver her foot out of the belt, but she was still embarrassed that she'd tripped.

"Anything twisted or bruised?"

"No. But thanks for asking, Don. It's not often that guys ask me those things."

"That's because those jerks don't know how to treat a lady." _Did I just say that?_ he thought.

Samantha smiled. "Guess there **are** gentlemen out there."

_She's thinks **I'm** a gentleman? _ Don thought to himself. _Awesome! She thinks I'm a gentleman!_

"Sammy's here!" Mikey shouted, sprinting towards the two. Samantha broke away from Donatello and was scooped up into a huge hug by the fun-loving turtle.

"Hey Mikey! Nice to see you too!" she gasped, massaging her ribs a little. Man, that turtle was strong!

"Hopefully, Michelangelo didn't break any of your ribs, Samantha," a voice said from behind her. She whirled around and saw Leonardo standing nearby with Raph trailing him. She smiled and walked over to hug him. When her arms were around his neck, Leo felt something spark inside him. He felt like he wanted to hold on to her forever, but she broke away and approached Raph.

"Don't even **think** about it, Princess!" Raph warned her, holding up a three-fingered hand. "I don't do hugs!"

"Fine. Have it your way, **Hothead**," Samantha replied, crossing her arms over her chest and earning a laugh from Mikey and a smirk from Leo. Raph looked shocked for a moment, but then crossed his arms over his plastron and muttered under his breath.

"So, what movie did you guys pick out?" Samantha asked, turning her back on Raph.

"Actually, we decided that, as our guest, **you** should pick the movie," Leo told her as the five of them started walking over to the living room.

"**We** didn't really decide that," Raph corrected. "**Leonardo** here was too chicken to have two of us hatin' his guts for the next hundred years, so he decided to have some "courtesy" and let **you** pick the flick, Princess."

"Wow, Leo. That was awfully…sweet," she said, smiling at him. "And they say chivalry's dead." She turned and began walking with Mikey and Don and missed Leo throw a smug look at Raph, who narrowed his eyes and let out a huff.

"Please tell me you guys have _Dawn of the Dead_!" Don heard Samantha say to Mikey as she sat down on the couch.

"That's, like, one of all-time favorite monster movies! That and _The Mummy_ and _The Mummy Returns_!" Mikey shouted, high-fiving her…or rather high-threeing her. Just then, a beeping sound came from a nearby area of the Lair which Sam suspected was probably the kitchen. "Hang on! The popcorn's done! I'll go get it!"

"But, my favorite has to be _The Grudge_. That movie puts the "horror" in "horror movie"!" Sam told Don as he sat down beside her on the couch on her right.

"That's **my** favorite monster movie, too!" Don told her. She turned and he saw the sparkle in her eyes. He'd just said the perfect thing, and he knew it. "When did you watch it for the first time?"

"When I was 14. A couple of girlfriends and I decided that we wanted to watch something that would "keep us up at night for at least a week". And that movie did. How about you?"

"When I was 16. It'd just come on DVD, and I watched it with my brothers. Mikey was scared out of his shell!"

"Was not!" Mikey retorted, carrying five, big bowls of popcorn across towards them. A loose piece of the floor was standing up and Mikey didn't see it in time. The next thing, he was flying towards the ground, the popcorn bowls flying towards Sam and Don. Sam closed her eyes and waited to feel the bowl and its salty, buttery contents fall onto her. Nothing happened. She opened her eyes and saw Leo standing in front of her, holding out a bowl of popcorn to her, another in his other hand. She looked beside her and saw Don munching on his own bowl. Over Leo's shoulder she saw Raph holding the other two. She looked back at the blue bandana-wearing turtle.

"Popcorn?" Leo asked, smiling.

"How in the world did you…?"

"We're **ninjas**, Princess! Remember?" Raph reminded her, smirking. "Dis kinda o' stuff is what we do! And we're good at it, too!"

"I can see that," she replied, but she was looking at Leo when she said it, smiling. She took the bowl from him as he settled in on her other side.

"Hey! I wanted to sit beside Sammy!" Mikey whined, walking with a small limp over to the couch where Don and Leo were sitting. Raph grabbed the armchair nearby and settled into it, smirking as he took up a handful of popcorn. This was gonna be interesting to watch.

"You've been hogging the couch all week, Mikey!" Don countered. "It's only fair that someone else gets it!"

"Don's got a point, Mikey," Leo added.

"Relax, Mikey!" Sam giggled. "It's just a movie! It's not like Leo or Don are going to try anything!" Raph hid a laugh behind a cough. Leo shot him a murderous look. Don stayed silent, praying that he wouldn't start blushing or anything. If Raph sensed his feelings about Samantha, he'd **never **hear the end of it.

"It's still not fair!" Mikey said, pouting.

"Tell you what. The next time I come over, I'll kick your shell in _Super Mario Brothers_!" Sam offered, gathering her hair back over her shoulders. "Just you and me and all the pizza and junk food we can eat. Deal?"

"Well…"

"Did I mention **I'll** pay for all the junk food we can eat?"

"It's a date!" Mikey grabbed the movie and popped it into the DVD player before he sat down at Sam's feet. He dug into his popcorn like a ravenous wolf, shoving handful after handful into his mouth.

"Am I good or what?" she asked Don, who smiled and chuckled.

"You're good, Sam," Don confessed. _A little **too** good,_ he thought bitterly to himself as the film began. He tried to reason that it may have been just a gesture of good faith to appease Mikey, that there were other plausible explanations behind Sam's offer. But as the movie continued and Don saw Mikey scream and grab Samantha's leg numerous times when the zombies dined upon their victims, infecting them, he felt less and less inclined to think rationally. And when he noticed Leo shift his body slightly towards Samantha, his arm stretched over the back of the couch close to her shoulders, Donatello knew one thing for sure: he **hated** competition.

**Oooo. It's a _potential_ love square! Haven't seen much of the mysterious _tengu_ (demon), but it will appear in the next chapter along with a new character of mine. Anyways, comments? Questions? Concerns? If not...review!**


	5. Chapter 5

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

Samantha Bushido is not only the daughter of the founder of ninjutsu, but also possesses a powerful amulet that could destroy humanity. One of the Turtles has been ordained to protect her. But will her love for 2 turtles bring about the end of the world?

**Hey. First, thanks to my solo reviewer, White Fairy Writer, for your comments! Hope to hear more from you! Guys, if you have readers, could you tell them to at least _look_ at my story. I _really_ want more people to read this! Anyways, as always, review, review, review! OK, my o/c other than Samantha makes a brief appearance because I spent time incorporating Sam's amulet into the mix. But he'll be in the next chapter a bit more. Anyways, on with the story!**

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! I wish I did, but Eastman and Laird have that privilege! All O/C are mine though!

Chapter Five

Raph and Mikey were sparring in the dojo while Leo, Don, Samantha and Master Splinter observed from the sidelines. It surprised Sam to see that Mikey was kicking Raph's shell all over the place. It had been a month since she'd met the Turtles, but there was still so much about them that she didn't know. By looks alone, she'd assumed that big, burly, tough-turtle Raphael would be slaughtering Mikey. There was more to these guys than she'd first thought.

"Nice fall, Raph!" Mikey teased, as Raph went crashing into a wooden chair that had been in the dojo for some odd reason that the guys had never bothered to mention.

"You think you're better than me? DO YOU?" Raph demanded angrily, rushing at Mikey. Punches, kicks, and blows all danced around the nimble, fun-loving turtle, and, by the look on Raph's face, making the hotheaded turtle even angrier. Samantha could tell he was about to explode any second. A ticking time-bomb was dangerous by itself, but when it was inside an already short-tempered turtle like Raph, the explosion would be catastrophic.

"You're just a little too…slow!" Mikey exclaimed, sending Raph flying across the dojo with a strong kick. "Actually …**much** too slow!"He turned his back to Raph and strolled towards the small group, triumphant and confident.

"Winner and still champion: Michelangelo!" he crowed, locking his hands above his head like an Olympic champion who'd won a gold medal. Samantha's face became horrified as she saw Raphael pick up a pipe from the wreckage and leap into the air, tackling Mikey to the ground. Mikey was on his shell, looking up at an enraged Raph. Samantha quickly drew her wakizashi. There was **no way **she was gonna let Hothead hurt Mikey.

"Raph! Wait!" Mikey pleaded, but Raph's anger had boiled over. He raised the pipe and was about to deliver a hard blow when Samantha leapt between the two and blocked the blow with her sword. Raph was stunned for a moment, but then his eyes became narrow slits again when he saw it was Sam who'd stopped him.

"Get outta my way, Princess!" he ordered harshly.

"No way, Raphael!" she answered firmly as he tried to push her down. "I'm not gonna let you hurt Mikey!" She was starting to feel her body sink as Raph's strength slowly began overwhelming her.

"Look, you're angry! I get that! But hurting Mikey isn't the answer!" she reasoned. Suddenly, she felt something fly into her side at a high speed, sending her flying through the air and crashing hard onto the floor of the dojo.

"Samantha!" Leo shouted as Raph went in to attack the ninja princess. He was about to jump in when Don moved like lightning, running after Raph and then vaulting over the hotheaded turtle with his bo staff, landing between Raph and Samantha. He then used a quick attack with his staff which sent Raph to the ground hard. Raph was about to get up when a katana blade at his neck forced him to reconsider.

"Don't even **think** about it, Raphael!" Leo growled, pointing the blade at the surface of Raph's neck. Leo watched his brother's eyes slowly soften as he panted hard, his anger seeping out of him. Leo sheathed his katana blades and looked across the room to see that Donatello was kneeling beside Samantha, who lay unmoving on the floor of the dojo. _She's not moving!_ Leo thought to himself anxiously. _Oh, God! Please don't let her be…! I couldn't bear it if she was…!_

"Sammy! Sammy!" Mikey cried in angst, flinging himself by Samantha's other side, patting her cheek. "Please wake up, Sammy! Please! We never even got to play _Super Mario Brothers_ and eat junk food like you promised! Come on, Sammy! Wake up!"

"Leo. Mikey. Samantha. I…" Raph began, moving towards Samantha, but Leo blocked his way, arms outstretched.

"Keep away from her!" Leo snarled.

"Ah, my son. So angry," Splinter sighed, approaching the hotheaded turtle, who looked close to tears. "Rage is a monster that will destroy you from within. A true warrior finds balance in all things."

"Master Splinter. I…I…I gotta get some air!" Raph blurted out, taking off.

"Michelangelo. Please allow Donatello to perform a proper diagnosis of Princess Samantha without any interference," Splinter commanded in his calm, serious voice.

Mikey obeyed Sensei and backed up a few feet while Don gently cradled Sam's head in his lap, his fingers running through her hair and skimming her scalp, searching for any lacerations, bruises or abnormalities that could signal a fractured skull. Even though he wouldn't have wished her unconscious for all the world, Donatello felt shivers run across his skin as his fingers travelled through her hair which was soft to the touch and luminous in the light from the dojo. She looked like a sleeping angel, and as his hand moved down her cheek to her neck to find a pulse, he closed his eyes and inwardly moaned at the feel of her soft skin under his hand. He'd never felt this way before about any human, especially not a human girl. April was smart and pretty and everything, but she wasn't like Samantha, who could make his heart skip a beat with just a look, a smile, or a few words.

Suddenly, Don thought that he heard someone whispering to him. A small voice whispering _Donatello. Not yet. It's not time._

_Not yet? _Don wondered. _Not time for what?_

_For you to know who she really is,_ the voice whispered again. Don froze for a second. What the shell was going on? How could the voice know what he was thinking? He looked down at Samantha, who was still out, but her amulet was glowing. Faintly, but brightly enough to catch Don's attention. The ruby-red eyes of the sapphire dragon seemed to be alive, its body pulsing with a dim, blue light; the same light that had surrounded her when she'd vanished the first time they'd met. The gold part of the amulet seemed to be glowing brighter. Something weird was going on with Samantha's amulet, and if she came to, he was gonna ask Sam what it was. _If._ He didn't like that word _if_.

"You OK, Donny?" he heard Leo ask. His eyes quickly opened to find his eldest brother staring at him with what looked like concern.

"Yeah. Fine. Just trying to make sure I find the right spot to find her pulse," Don replied, steadying his voice. He quickly found the spot close to the bottom of her neck and pressed two fingers to it. When he felt the tiny beat pushing at his fingers, he wanted to cry. She was still alive. And when she began groaning and twitching, Don felt like he could hit the roof of the Lair. He couldn't even bear the thought of Samantha being…He banished the thought from his mind.

"Sammy! You're alive!" Mikey exclaimed, hugging her tightly.

"Easy, Mikey!" Leo chided. "We don't wanna injure her any further!"

"Man, what hit me?" she moaned, rubbing her head and sitting up.

"A freight train-sized turtle by the name of Raphael," Mikey answered, earning him a smack on the head from Don's bo staff. "Ow!"

"Are you alright, Samantha?" Don asked her. She turned around and saw the look in his eyes. There was genuine concern, but there was something else. Something that told her that Don knew something that he wanted to discuss with her in private.

"Aside from a throbbing head and some soreness, I'm fine," Sam replied.

"You sure? 'Cause that kick from Raph looked pretty brutal," Leo said bracingly. "Maybe you should go see a doctor or get checked out at a hospital or something. You know, just to see if there was any real damage." She looked at him, smiling weakly, thanking him with her eyes for his concern over her. She knew he was courteous and sweet, but to be concerned about her like this? This was beyond sweet. It was…it was…_adorable. _ How could he be so caring about a girl he'd just met a month ago and watched one movie with? The blue-bandana turtle was becoming more and more intriguing to her.

"In the meantime, come with me to the lab, and I'll get you some painkillers for the throbbing," Don told her, standing and holding out both hands to her. She grasped them and allowed him to pull her upright. Keeping an arm wrapped around her shoulders "just to be on the safe side", Don and Samantha headed off to his lab, leaving Mikey looking slightly bewildered, Master Splinter looking thoughtful and Leo torn between relief and jealousy.

* * *

"These should lessen the pain," Don informed her, handing her two painkillers and a glass of water. She took them, nodded her thanks, and swallowed the pills before washing them down with some of the water.

"Thanks, Don," she told him. "But you didn't have to bring me back to your lab just to give me a couple of Advil pills, you know?"

"I know. There's…there's something I need to ask you."

"OK. Shoot."

"What's up with your amulet?"

_Ask me anything except that!_ she thought in her head, panicking. What should she do? If she told him the truth, he'd probably be repulsed by her and never want anything to do with her. But she hated lying.

"What do you mean?"

"I think you know, Samantha. The teleportation, the fact that after a kick like Raph's you only have a bit of pain. All of this while your amulet seems to be…alive: glowing dimly and someone was whispering to me."

"You sure you weren't imagining things, Don?"

"I know what I saw and heard, Samantha. I want to know the truth."

"Don, I…I can't tell you!"

"**Can't**?Or **won't**?"

"Do you think I could ever **want** to hide anything from you or your family, Donatello?"

"Well, I…"

"I may've known you all for only a month, but ever since I watched that movie with you guys, I know that I can trust you! But I made a promise, and I can't break it! Not yet!"

"Then when?"

"I…I don't know. The person who sent me here to find you guys told me that he'd tell me when it was time."

"Who?"

"My friend, Yoshi. He's a mystic." She looked at her watch. "I've gotta get to class." She hopped down from the stretcher's end and was about to hold her amulet aloft in the air when Donatello grabbed her hand.

"So, that thing's got teleportation and healing abilities. Am I right?"

"Yeah."

"Did Yoshi craft it for you? You said he's a mystic."

"This amulet **was** crafted by a mystic, but not by Yoshi." Don heard the defensive tone her voice took when the mystic's name was mentioned. _She must really care about him_, Don thought to himself.

"I need to go. I've already said too much."

"Samantha, I…"

"Thank you for everything, Don. I **really** have to get to class." With that, she shrugged out of his grip and held the amulet aloft. A flash of blue light, and Samantha was gone, leaving Donatello wanting to kick himself for scaring her off. Whatever was going on with that amulet was serious enough for Sam to be sworn to a vow of silence. Maybe informing the others might cause her to break that vow ahead of schedule. Don knew it would be betraying her trust, something he valued a lot, but it was for her own good.

* * *

"Hello? Earth to Samantha?" Olivia said, waving her hand in front of Sam's face. Sam shook her head as if she was waking up from a dream.

"Sorry, 'Liv. What were you saying?" Sam inquired of her best friend. They were in the student café at NYU's Department of Sociology, studying the chapters that they'd been assigned to read. Or at least that had been their plan until Samantha began thinking back to her argument with Don. She wished she hadn't taken off like that, but she needed to get out of there before she broke her promise to Yoshi and spilled her guts about her amulet.

"I was saying that…" Olivia began, but then something happening behind Samantha had caught her attention. Sam turned around and saw a group of five boys walking into the café. At the head was a tall, brunette boy with deep-sea blue eyes and an impressive physique, his muscles clearly defined in his arms and chest. He wore machine-torn jeans with a muscle tee in classic black, a book bag slung over his shoulder, and expensive Nike running shoes on his feet. He was tanned as well, a butterscotch hue, and a smile as bright as the lights hanging overhead. The other four boys trailed behind their leader, no doubt cool and attractive as well, but when that boy was in the room, you only had eyes for him.

"Oh my god!" Olivia breathed in shock. "It's Marcus Danielson the Third!"

"Who?" Samantha questioned, looking confused. Olivia's face looked as though Samantha had asked her what one plus one was.

"Marcus Danielson the Third is only **the** hottest, richest, and most athletic boy to grace NYU with his presence!" Olivia answered, warming to the subject. "Starting quarterback for the football team and star point guard in basketball, his father was killed by diamond traders, and his grandfather is the original Marcus Danielson and owner of the biggest technology company worldwide: M.D. Co. They make Smartphones and sell them off to big phone companies like TELUS, Wind, Koodo, Rogers, and you get the picture."

"Yeah. Pretty much."

"Every girl at this school would **kill** to date him!"

"So, why haven't** you** asked him out yet?"

"Well…he's kinda got a reputation."

"Lemme guess: love 'em and leave 'em?"

"How'd you…?"

"He's a guy. It wasn't that hard to figure out."

"A guy who's coming _right over here!_" Samantha turned and looked again to see Marcus's posse heading off to a vacant table while their leader walked towards Samantha and Olivia, a huge smile plastered on his face, eyes trained on Samantha. He p_robably thinks that I'm just fresh meat that he can sink his teeth into!_ Sam thought bitterly. _Well, he might just bite off more than he can chew!_

She was already struggling with the possibility that two, maybe even three guys (who weren't even **human **above all) that she'd known for a month were crushing on her. And the fact that they were all brothers just meant that Marcus Danielson the Third couldn't become another side in this growing love polygon.

**Oooo. Player on set. So, what do you guys think of Marcus? I know he hasn't said anything yet, but the next chapter, he will. Will Donatello tell the others about Sam's amulet? When will Leo start gaining some more ground with Sam? And when will she and Mikey have that video game showdown? All these questions and more will be answered in the coming chapters of Not An Ordinary Girl! And...reviews please!**


	6. Chapter 6

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

Samantha Bushido is not only the daughter of the founder of ninjutsu, but also possesses a powerful amulet that could destroy humanity. One of the Turtles has been ordained to protect her. But will her love for 2 turtles bring about the end of the world?

**Hey. First, thanks to my beautiful reviewers, White Fairy Writer, dondena and pokemonjkl for your comments! Hope to hear more from you! Sorry about being gone so long, guys, but I just wasn't really feeling up to writing for a bit. But I'm back! Reviews are _really _ important to me, you guys, so use that little button at the bottom! So, you get to see Marcus in action and Samantha and Don get a little bit closer to each other. Anyways, before I defeat my own purpose, on with the story!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! I wish I did, but Eastman and Laird have that privilege! All O/C are mine though!

Chapter Six

"Hello, ladies," Marcus greeted the two girls in a smooth, seductive tenor. Olivia practically swooned but Samantha managed to keep a straight face. He turned and looked at her, his blue eyes dancing. Why did he have to be this hot? Why? "I don't believe we've met. I'm Marcus Danielson the Third. And you are?"

"Samantha Bushido."

"Ah. Timothy Kenji's niece, am I right?"

"Yes. How did you know that?"

"Your uncle's a business partner of my grandfather's. They even play golf together sometimes. It's a pleasure to meet you." He held out his hand, which she took to shake, but he carried it up to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to the skin. Any other girl probably would've fainted from the soft brush of Marcus's perfect lips on their hand; luckily, Samantha wasn't just "any other girl".

"Likewise, Marcus," she returned, pulling her hand away. Marcus looked a bit shocked that she hadn't fallen to the ground, swooning, but his charming, seductive smile popped right back up, masking the insecurity he was no doubt feeling at not being able to seduce his prey in one shot.

"You know, out of all the girls I've seen here at NYU, **you** are the most beautiful. I mean, you're like a goddess, Samantha! The way you dress, the way your hair's styled, the way you walk. It's just so…different."

"Different how?"

"I mean, you don't walk around like a stuck-up, conceited, fake bitch! That alone is seriously… hot!"

"Umm…thanks. I think."

"So, I suppose your uncle's informed you of the 35th anniversary celebration of M.D. Co.'s founding at the Broadview Terrace Hotel this Friday night?"

"Actually, he hasn't. I suppose he was waiting for me to get home from school and then tell me."

"Well, as I'm sure you'll be attending the event with your uncle, what with them being close business associates, I would be honored to be your escort for the evening."

The room became deathly silent. Samantha heard a fork clatter, laptop keys go silently, textbook pages stop turning, and felt about a hundred or so eyes on her as everyone silently processed what had just happened. Marcus Danielson the Third, the leader of "The Reigning Crew of NYU" and the most sought-after bachelor on campus had just asked **her** out! She could imagine a life of popularity and envy at the side of NYU's hottest guy. Then, the Turtles' faces popped into her mind. Mikey's shock, Raph's indignant one, Leo's disappointment and Don's heart-brokenness were like tiny daggers piercing her heart again and again. So what if Marcus was hot? And rich? And athletic? And popular? She'd known him for five minutes, while she'd known the Turtles for a month. One of them was ordained to be her Protector. Marcus's air told her that if something didn't benefit him, he wanted nothing to do with it. The Turtles cared about her. End of story. Marcus probably only cared about scoring her. End of story. And there was something inside of her that told her that Leo and Don would never speak to her again if she started dating Marcus Danielson the Third.

"As tempting as that sounds, Marcus, I'll have to pass."

Someone actually gasped as jaws dropped onto tables across the café. Marcus's face was torn between rage and disbelief.

"**No one**'s ever said "no" to me!"

"Guess there's a first time for everything." Samantha began gathering up her books and shoving them into her backpack, trying to avoid Olivia's shocked expression and keep her hands from shaking violently. She shouldered her backpack, pushed back her chair and was about to step around Marcus and leave when he blocked her way. She looked into his eyes and saw that they were calm and serene, which made her even more nervous inwardly.

"Marcus, I have to go." She'd called Don earlier that day and (after letting Olivia interrogate him about the movie), he'd agreed to pick her up at 2 that afternoon in the sewer tunnel underneath the Sociology building. It was 1:50.

"I know. Listen, I'm sorry about that. I'm just…kinda used to getting what I want." He smiled sheepishly. "I hope I'll still see you at the celebration Friday night. There's an auction too if you're interested."

"Thanks, Marcus," she said, smiling back. "I hope I'll see you, too. But right now, I **really** have to get going. Bye, 'Liv!" she said, turning and waving to her friend, who raised her hand and gave her a quick wave. Then, Samantha turned back to Marcus. "Bye, Marcus."

"Bye…Samantha." With that, she maneuvered her way around him and practically flew out of the café, the noise level returning to its normal volume as soon as she, the cause of the silence, had gone.

* * *

"So, how was school?" Don asked her as the Sewer Slider cruised through the tunnels towards the Lair.

"School is…school, Donny," she answered, avoiding eye contact.

"OK. What's up?"

"How'd you…? Wait. Lemme guess. Ninja skill, right?"

"Catch on quickly, don't you?"

"I'm a fast learner. But if I tell you, you **can't** tell the others. **Especially** not Leo."

"Why "especially" not him?"

"He…he worries too much as it is. I don't want him worrying about me and some guy at school." Then, she smiled. "No matter how sweet and thoughtful that is."

_Sweet?_ Don thought to himself in panic. _She thinks Leo's sweet? Does that mean she likes him? And what guy at school is she talking about? Oh man! If I don't tell her how I feel soon, someone else is gonna take her! But…but what if she doesn't feel the same way? I'll look and feel like an idiot! What should I do? What should I do?_

"Donny? You OK?" Samantha asked, noticing the fearful expression on his face.

"Huh?" His face was completely wiped clean of any fear when he saw the worried look in her eyes. "Yeah. I…I just forgot to do something, and I hope Master Splinter won't kill me."

"Don't worry about it. Sensei's a pretty understanding...rat. I'm sure if you explain it to him, he'll be OK."

"Thanks. So, what's the situation with you and this guy at school?"

Samantha took a deep breath and then poured out the entire story of what Olivia had told her about Marcus Danielson the Third and what had transpired in the student café between them.

"So you think this Marcus guy's bad news?" Don inquired.

"And how!" Samantha answered. "I mean, he's never met me before in his life, but he actually has the nerve to ask me out? I mean, come on! It's clear that he's only asking me out to get up my skirt!"

"WHAT? If he does anything to you, I swear to God that I'll seriously…!"

"Yikes, Donny!" Samantha laughed. "I didn't know you cared so much."

"You're family, Samantha. Of course we care about you," Don replied kindly, smiling at her. She blushed and looked away from him. The Sewer Slider came to a halt in front of the wall that hid the Lair. Don parked it, leapt out and entered the code. Then, he hopped back in and cruised into the Lair.

"So, when are ya gonna let me drive this baby, Donny?" Samantha asked.

"I'd have to give you lessons, first of all," Donatello replied, hopping out and going around to help Sam out. "Then, I'd have to ensure that all the gears were in working condition. The top one is still experimental, and not ensuring its stability…"

"Could and most probably would result in either a complete shutdown of the vehicle's internal system or an internal combustion thanks to friction caused by the grinding of the top gear and its fellow subordinate ones. Those would create sparks that could potentially cause an explosion of mass proportions," Sam finished. Needless to say, Donatello was shocked by the fact that both Samantha had understood what he'd said, but also that she'd responded in language similar to the one he used.

"How…how did you…?" Samantha pressed two fingers to his lips. It took everything Don had not to faint right there and then in front of her.

"Don't tell anyone this, Donny, but my IQ's 176," Samantha whispered. She took her fingers away from his mouth and watched him smile.

"Wow! And while we're swapping secrets… I've never told my brothers this, but **my** IQ is 745."

"Donny, you're…you're…" Samantha stammered, but Don put one of his fingers to her lips. He couldn't have known how much her blood boiled when he touched her. She felt as though she wanted to just faint and have him catch her so that she could look into his eyes and just…melt.

"A turtle genius?" he finished, taking his finger away.

"Not just **a **turtle genius. You're **my** turtle genius," she told him, smiling flirtatiously.

"**Real** cute, Sam!" Don snorted, rolling his eyes jokingly.

"Oh please! You love that I have a special name for you…my turtle genius!" Sam shot back playfully, running her fingers playfully down Don's arm. Suddenly, as if seized by some strange force, Don wrapped his arms around Sam's waist and dipped her towards the floor, like they were dancers performing a routine. Samantha gave a cry of surprise and grabbed his shoulders to keep from flailing around like a fish on a hook. Her hair draped over his arm, and they were staring into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Don's breath on her neck warmed her skin, and she felt her hands tracing the muscles in his arms. Samantha looked away. She had to. Another second, and she might've given in to the urge to kiss him. And **that** was something she could **never** do.

"What's with the move?" Sam asked, turning back to Don, her voice light and teasing as if it were all a joke. "You aren't usually so..._daring, _my turtle genius."

"Don't say that too loud!" Don told her, looking around anxiously for his brothers. "If anybody hears you call me that, they'll **never** let me live it down!"

"Never let you live what down?" a voice asked from behind Don. Don and Samantha turned their heads and saw Leo, Mikey and Master Splinter standing close by them. Mikey was smirking, Master Splinter was studying the two of them with a calm, scholarly expression, and Leo was standing at the forefront, arms crossed over his plastron. His face was void of emotion, but one look in his eyes, and the story was completely different.

"Are we interrupting something?"

_Shit! _Samantha cursed in her head as Don set her upright and moved his arms from around her. _I know that look! **And **that tone! This is **not** gonna end well!_


	7. Chapter 7

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

Samantha Bushido is not only the daughter of the founder of ninjutsu, but also possesses a powerful amulet that could destroy humanity. One of the Turtles has been ordained to protect her. But will her love for 2 turtles bring about the end of the world?

**Hey. First, thanks to my beautiful reviewers pokemonjkl and StillDoll13 for your comments! Also, thanks to moon eclipse shadows for choosing my story for story alert as well as The real Gluttony and antaurilover685 for adding this story your favorites! On with the story! P.S.-To all you Leo fans, your turtle gains ground with my ninja princess in this chapter, so read and review... everybody!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! I wish I did, but Eastman and Laird have that privilege! All O/C are mine though!

Chapter Seven

"Donatello? Samantha? Are we interrupting something?" Leo asked pointedly, arms still crossed over his plastron. The fiery look in Leo's eyes confirmed Don's worst fears. _He likes her!_ Don thought to himself. _I **knew** it! Why else would he be asking us that? What should I say?_

"No. Nothing at all," Samantha answered calmly, stepping away from Donatello. "And relax, Leo," she added, running her fingers down the serious turtle's arm. "Your brother didn't do anything to me. I was just being a klutz and he kept me from banging my head on the floor, OK?"

"If you say so," Leo answered, looking down into her eyes. She smiled and chucked him under the chin.

"I **know** so," she replied, hugging him. He hugged her back and felt all the stress and anxiety leave him. He'd been about to jump out of his shell and tackle his brother to the floor. Anything to get him away from Samantha. Why was he getting so fiery as of late whenever Don was with her? He never minded when they'd first begun hanging out, but Leo knew things were changing. He was noticing Samantha's beautiful, dark hair in the dim light now more than ever. How her eyes sparkled when she smiled. How her beautiful laugh made him shiver. The way her clothes accentuated her slim, curvaceous figure. Everything that made Samantha Bushido unique from other girls, he was seeing.

"Hey Sammy!" Mikey cried happily, rushing at her and hugging her tightly. For the fun-loving turtle, Samantha was the closest thing he'd ever had to a sister…other than April. He also suspected that both Donny and Leo had crushes on her, but he was too nice to mention it to the world. For now.

"OK, Mikey! Down! It's good to see you, too!" Samantha laughed, as she hugged the fun-loving turtle back.

"Princess Samantha," Splinter greeted, bowing. "It is an honor to have you visiting with us again. I hope you are feeling much better after the…_incident_ this morning."

"Thank you, Sensei," she replied, bowing back. "It is an honor to be in your home. I'm feeling a lot better, thanks. Has Raph come back yet?" Just then, the doors of the Lair opened and in walked a sullen-looking Raphael.

"Speak of the devil," Leo observed as everyone turned and watched the silent turtle make his way to their small group gathered by the living room.

"Whoa, dude!" Mikey breathed sympathetically. "You looked like you got the shell kicked out of you!"

"That's an understatement," Samantha jumped in. "You look like something the cat dragged off, ate, threw up, then ate again and then threw up again!"

"Yeah. Well, I just wanted to say…Mikey, I'm sorry I lost my temper," Raph apologized. "And Samantha, I'm sorry for attacking you like that. I was outta control and let my anger take over me. I could've really hurt you both."

"Don't sweat it, bro!" Mikey replied, throwing a brotherly arm around Raph's shoulders.

"Alright. Who are you and what've you done with our brother, Raphael?" Leo joked.

"The serious turtle has a sense of humor?" Samantha teased, looking at Leo, who blushed and turned his face away. "I'm learning more about you guys every day."

"It's a long story," Raph responded. "I'll fill ya in over dinner."

"Dinner?" Mikey crowed. "Now you're speaking **my** language!"

"What language is that, Mikey?" snickered Raph. "Nitwit?"

"Good one, Hothead," Samantha giggled. "At least they didn't damage your sense of humor. And, to celebrate Raph coming to his senses, **I'll** cook."

"**YOU?**" all four brothers shouted in shock at the same time.

"But…but…you're a _princess_!" Mikey exclaimed. "Didn't you have, like, servants and cooks and people to do everything for you?"

"Yeah. But that doesn't mean I didn't want to _learn_ how to cook," Samantha told them. "I would sneak down to the kitchen and watch the chefs prepare our food. As I got older, they let me help them. And I learned a lot. Now, which way's the kitchen?"

"Through there," Donatello said, pointing towards a doorway five feet away from the living room.

"Thanks, Donny. And if **anyone** disturbs me while I'm at work, they'll wish they'd never been created."

* * *

Samantha made sure that both the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses were sprinkled perfectly over the chicken breasts which were covered in spaghetti sauce. Returning them to the oven along with her "special surprise", she stirred the pasta and then made sure the broccoli she'd chopped up was cooking to absolute, tender perfection.

"Something sure smells good in here," a voice complimented. Samantha whipped around and saw Leo standing in the doorway, a smile on his face.

"I thought I warned you guys to stay out of the kitchen," she reminded him. But the truth was, she didn't really mind him being there.

"I know. But I just wanted to see if you needed help with anything."

Samantha smiled. "Are you always so sweet and considerate?"

"You think **I'm **sweet and considerate?" Leo asked, looking surprised.

"Well, yeah. There aren't many guys who'd offered to help a woman in the kitchen. Can you cook?"

"To be honest, I couldn't cook to save my life," Leo confessed. Samantha giggled a bit.

"I'm sure you're not **that** bad!"

"Listen to the chef who's cooking up…what exactly are you cooking, anyways?"

"_Chicken Parmigiana _with pasta and steamed broccoli," Samantha replied. "One of the cooks in the palace loved Italian cuisine. He went to Italy for a year to take culinary lessons. When he back, he was cooking nothing but Italian food. And it was pretty good, too."

"Anything for dessert?"

"**That's **a surprise!"

"Mind sharing that surprise with me?"

"Actually…yes!"

Leo smirked and then leapt over her head and in front of the oven, but before he could peek inside and see the surprise, Samantha leapt on his shell and pulled on his bandana tails, jerking his head up. Once he was a bit further from the oven, she tackled him to the floor. They rolled around for a bit before stopping just beside the table legs. Leo was on top Samantha, straddling her hips, his hands holding her arms above her head. Both of them were breathing hard, even though they'd only been play fighting.

"You **really** don't want anyone to see that surprise, do you Samantha?" Leo panted, trying to catch his breath.

"Got that right, Leo," Samantha answered back in a faux-tough tone, breathing hard. It was then that both of them noticed the position they were in. Samantha blushed and Leo's face turned red. They looked away from each other before Leo got off of her and held out his hand to help her up. She took it and allowed him to haul her off the ground. But she stumbled and fell against his plastron. His arms tightened around her and Sam could've sworn she could feel his heart beating furiously beneath her hands. The scent of her perfume and peach –scented shampoo were intoxicating as the top of her head rested against Leo's chin. Leo breathed them in and inwardly groaned at their sweetness.

"I should finish up," she said, stepping back. Leo dropped his arms back to his sides. He was desperate to have her in his arms again, but if he came on too strong, she'd get freaked out.

"Sure. Let me know if you need anything," Leo told her.

"Don't worry. You'll be the first one I call," Samantha told him. As she turned back to her cooking, she missed seeing the smile that lit up the leader's face.

* * *

"Dinner is served!" Samantha declared, setting the last plate on the table. The four brothers came barreling in like a pack of hungry wolves. Master Splinter came walking in calmly and proceeded to whack all four of them on their heads.

"Show some decorum, my sons!" Master Splinter chided. "We have a young lady as our guests! And I would be shamed to the dust if she thought all of you were raised by a pack of wolves!"

"Sorry, Sensei," they apologized.

"I'll sit with you, Sensei," Samantha offered. Master Splinter nodded and then took his place beside Leonardo and Samantha took the final place between Sensei and…Donatello.

"Sensei. Would you like to try first?" Samantha inquired.

"I would, Princess Bushido-san," Master Splinter answered, taking his knife and fork in his hand. He cut a piece of chicken and then put it in his mouth, chewing slowly, eyes closed. Samantha crossed her fingers under the table. Then, Master Splinter opened his eyes and beamed.

"Truly incredible, Princess Bushido-san!" Master Splinter exclaimed happily. The four turtles then dug into their meals. "I have not tasted food so well prepared in a long time."

"I'm sure your sons are more than adequate cooks, Sensei," Samantha answered, trying her best to sound modest. Then, her eyes landed on Leonardo and she decided to get even with him for what had happened in the kitchen earlier. "**Especially** Leonardo. Right?" Forks clattered to the table as the four turtles stopped eating. Silence. Then, Don, Mikey and Raph burst out into fits of laughter.

"Are you kidding, Princess? Fearless here couldn't cook to save his life!" Raph howled.

"You don't say!" Samantha chuckled, throwing Leo a wink. He looked back at her with a playful look that read _I'm gonna get you for this!_

"Alright! Enough humor at my expense! All jokes aside… Samantha, this meal is exceptional!" Leonardo told her, smiling.

"It's beyond awesome, Sammy!" Mikey crowed before shoveling down another forkful.

"Not too shabby for a princess," Raph chuckled, taking a bite of chicken.

"_Magnifique_!" Don said, kissing his fingers. Samantha ducked her head and allowed her cheeks to turn red with a blush. Donatello calling her dinner "magnificent" in French was like the cherry on top of a hot-fudge sundae. And that little move he'd just pulled was charming. And he probably knew it, too.

"I didn't know you speak French, Donatello," Samantha said, gazing at the techno turtle. He smiled and blushed. He should've mentioned it to her when they'd been alone for that short period of time, but it hadn't seemed relevant.

"I kinda keep it on the down low," Don admitted shyly.

"Except when he's trying to impress a girl!" Mikey snickered. Raph hid a laugh behind a cough, but Leo seemed to tense up for a moment. Samantha noticed it and decided to put the blue bandana turtle at ease.

"People speak French for other reasons than impressing people, Mikey," she informed him kindly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Leo relax a little and knew that her little plan was working. "A lot of people say it's a language of sophistication and class."

"Have you ever been to France, Samantha?" Leo asked curiously.

"No. But it's my dream to go to Paris and stand atop the Eiffel Tower and look down at the city," she sighed dreamily. "To stand underneath the Arc de Triomphe, to shop along Champs Elysees, and to visit the cathedral of Notre Dames."

"Well…I'm dreaming about a triple chocolate chip cake with caramel filling right about now!" Mikey broke in, earning scowls from his brothers, and a laugh from Samantha. "What?" Just then, a small _ping!_ sounded from the kitchen.

"Well, Mikey," Samantha giggled, getting up from the table. "Your dream is about to come true because I have, in the oven, a triple chocolate chip cake with caramel filling for dessert!" The smiles on the four mutant turtles' faces would've lit up the huge Christmas tree that was usually in Times Square at Christmas.

"Princess Bushido, I wish you had not gone to so much trouble," Master Splinter began. Samantha opened her mouth to speak, but Master Splinter held up his paw to her. "However, I have been craving chocolate cake for a **while** now and will allow my sons to indulge a little. I know **I **will."

"I don't think it's Mikey you're going have to keep an eye on with that cake, Sam!" Don chortled. The others snickered and Samantha smiled brightly and warmly before turning and heading into the kitchen.

"That princess is one heck of a girl, ain't she?" Raph asked, even though he already knew everyone would say yes.

"She sure is," Don said admiringly. Raph and Mikey exchanged smirks while Leo just stared at his brother. Master Splinter hid a smile.

"Donny likes Samantha! Donny likes Samantha!" Mikey sang.

"Shut up, Mikey!" Don snapped. "No I don't. Not like **that**, anyway!"

"Then why was she in your arms?" Leo demanded.

"And why'd you look like you were about to lock lips with her?" Mikey added, chuckling.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! The Brainiac was about to make a move on the Princess?" Raph inquired in playful shock. "Where was** I** when all this was going down?"

"Getting the shell kicked out of you by a vigilante wearing a hockey mask," Leo reminded him.

"Oh, yeah. Right," Raph said.

"Look. She tripped, OK?" Don lied. "I wasn't about to let her smash her head on the floor, so I caught her. I was just about to put her upright when you guys showed up. Can the Inquisition end now?"

"Sure. Besides, we all know that **Leo** likes her, too!" Mikey snickered. Leo's face went beet-red.

"No I don't!" Leo snapped.

"Then why are you blushing?" Don inquired.

"And why were you asking Donny if we were interrupting something between him and Sammy?" Mikey added.

"Man! I gotta stop being gone for so long!" Raph chuckled. "I miss all the action!"

"Shut up, Raph!" Leo and Don shouted at the same time.

"Look. For what I'm hearing, both of ya like her," Raph said, leaning back against his chair, hands laced behind his head. "And whenever she spends time with one of ya, de other gets jealous. So I say, why don't you two just decide once and for all who gets the prize!" Samantha was just coming in with the cake in her hands when she caught the last part of Raph's sentence.

"Um, Raph?" Mikey called. He'd seen Samantha coming with the cake and knew that this conversation was heading for disaster.

"Shut it, shell for brains! I'm talking!" Raph said dismissively. "So anyways, she's golden! A trophy girlfriend for whichever one of ya comes out as the winner! Bet she's fresh still, too!"

"Um, Raph?" Don called to him, noticing Sam too.

"Listen to me, Donny. You and Leo gotta decide though whether this prize is worth possibly…"

"RAPH!" Leo shouted at him.

"What?" he demanded, turning his head towards the kitchen and almost falling out of his chair when he saw Samantha standing there, cake in hand, tears silently running down her cheeks.

"That's all you guys think I am?" Samantha asked, choking back a sob. "Some sort of prize to be won? I thought you were my friends! I thought you **cared** about me! I guess I was wrong!" She slammed the cake down onto the counter and rushed out of the room, hands covering her face.

"Samantha! Wait!" Leo called, starting to go after her, but by the time he was out of the kitchen, he saw the Lair's doors closing. She was gone. Leo walked back into the kitchen and looked at the disappointment on Master Splinter's face as the elderly rat shook his head sadly. Leo turned to Raph and shot him a murderous look.

"Nice going, Raphael!" Don snarled, storming out of the kitchen and heading for his lab.

"Hey! Where's Mikey?" Leo demanded. The orange-bandana turtle was nowhere in sight.

"He said he was going to his room," Raph replied. "Headache."

"He didn't pass me on the way back here," Leo informed him.

"Hey! The Sewer Slider's gone!" Don announced from his lab. "And so is my tracking device for the Shell-cells!"

"Mikey must be followin' her!" Raph theorized. "Hope he finds her." He went off in search of his punching bag while Master Splinter headed to his chambers to meditate.

_Please find her, Mikey!_ Leo prayed inside his head. _Find her and bring her back! Whatever it takes, wherever you have to go, just bring her back! Please! She means a lot to all of us, but she means the world to me! Just find her, little bro! I can't believe I'm saying this, but...we're counting on you!_


	8. Chapter 8

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

Samantha Bushido is not only the daughter of the founder of ninjutsu, but also possesses a powerful amulet that could destroy humanity. One of the Turtles has been ordained to protect her. But will her love for 2 turtles bring about the end of the world?

**Hey. First, thanks to my beautiful reviewers pokemonjkl, Shellspectacular and i love athrun. Also thanks to Marionette Minor and pokemonjkl for adding this story to your favorites! Guys, please tell others about this story. Reviews are what keep me going! Second, I've been busy, so my writing kinda took a back seat, but I'm back and ready to bring you more romance and adventure with your favorite green heroes and my ninja princess. Spoiler: chapter 10, we finally get some fighting! Yay! I'm excited to write it! OK, on with the story!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! I wish I did, but Eastman and Laird have that privilege! All O/C are mine though!

Chapter Eight

Don was bent over the lab table, studying a few of the strange crystals that they'd discovered when they'd moved into the Lair. He'd been planning to show them to Samantha and get her input on what she thought about them, but Raphael had ruined those plans. Don slammed down the magnifying glass and grasped the table edge with both hands. Even when he was working, Samantha was still able to get into his head. She'd only been gone for two hours, but to Don, those two hours felt like an eternity. Where was Samantha? Was she safe? Was she hurt? Why hadn't Don been the one to hop into the Sewer Slider and take off after her? Just then, someone knocked on his door.

"Go away, Raph!" Don snapped, picking up the magnifying glass again. The knock came again.

"I mean it, Raphael! I don't want to talk to you for at least a year and a half, you selfish, perverted bastard!"

"Geez! And you guys tell me **I'm** harsh!" said a calm, serious tone that wasn't Raphael's. Don turned around and saw Leo standing there, leaning against the door.

"Leo! Sorry about that! Uh…what are you doing here?"

"Just checking up on you. You looked like you were about to pound Raph into a bloody pulp in the kitchen earlier!"

"Do you blame me?"

"Would I blame you if I told you that I was thinking of doing the exact same thing?" Don studied his eldest brother closely. There were worry lines in his face, and he looked as though he wouldn't be getting any sleep until Samantha was back with them. Don knew how he felt. He would be working in the lab so that he wouldn't have to sleep; wouldn't have to close his eyes and see that beautiful face in agony, her body bruised and broken, and waking up from the nightmare knowing that it might come true. For him, even dreaming of Samantha would be pure torture until he knew she was safe with either them or her uncle.

"You miss her, don't you?" Leo questioned, but it sounded more like a fact from the way he spoke. Don held his breath for a minute, but then decided that it was time to own up. Besides, he could hide his love for her behind general concern and no one would be the wiser.

"Yeah," he sighed, putting down the magnifying glass once again.

"Trust me, Donny. You're not the only one who does."

"I know. Leo?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think Mikey will find her?"

"I…I don't know, Donny. I honestly don't know. And **that** is what scares me the most right now."

* * *

Samantha sank against a wall, allowing the filth and dirt to stain her blouse and jeans. She didn't care. What did clothes matter when the people (or rather Turtles) you were supposed to look to for protection, security and care only thought of you as a prize to be won, and not a human being with value? Samantha felt the tears rolling down her cheeks as she thought of Raph's words. Was that all Donny and Leo thought of her as? Some prize to be won? What about Mikey? Did he feel the same way Raph did or did he think differently from his brothers? Frustrated and heartbroken, Samantha finally let loose and sobbed loudly, her crying echoing throughout the tunnels.

* * *

Mikey narrowly avoided colliding with a wall as he guided the Sewer Slider through the tunnels. He looked at the tracking device and saw that Samantha had stopped moving. He felt his heart seize for a minute. Had she been attacked? Was she injured? Mikey quickly pressed his foot all the way down on the accelerator and felt the Sewer Slider speed up. She was around the next corner and a little ways down.

"Hold on, Sammy!" Mikey whispered, gritting his teeth. "Just hold on! I'm coming for ya! And if **anyone's** hurt you, they're gonna have to answer to **me** for it!" **Nobody **hurt Mikey's "sister" and got away with it!

* * *

_What am I going to do now?_ She thought to herself as she hugged her knees. _Leonardo's suppose to be the Protector. I thought that he would be the most sensitive and caring of them all. You know what? If Leo thinks I'm nothing but some prize, then I'll protect the Amulet on my own! Forget the Heads and their decisions! I'm not going to be treated like a piece of meat by four mutant turtles that are just as shallow and immature as human guys! No way, no how!_

Samantha was just rising to her feet when she saw a familiar pair of headlights coming down the tunnel. She was frozen, torn between her desire to run or to stay and fight it out with whichever turtle had come looking for her. The Sewer Slider pulled up and into full view beside her and Samantha couldn't help but smile when she saw Michelangelo driving.

"SAMMY!" he shouted, leaping out of the Sewer Slider and hugging the human girl so tightly that she thought she'd cracked two ribs.

"Mikey? What are you doing here?" she demanded, letting a small laugh escape from her.

"I came to find you and bring you back to the Lair," Mikey replied. Samantha's smile immediately vanished, and her eyes were filling with tears.

"I can't go back there, Mikey."

"WHAT? Why not?"

"After what Raphael said about me being nothing but a prize to Don and Leo, I can never face them again, knowing how they think of me."

"Samantha. Sammy. Listen to me. What Raph said is **not** true. Leo and Donny would **never** think of you like that! I've lived with them for all my life, and trust me: neither Leo nor Donny would **ever** treat a girl like anything less than a queen! You have **no** idea how much respect and care those two both have for you! I mean, it's almost more than what they have for April, and we've known her for a while now!"

"But Raph said…"

"Raph's just being a pompous dick! And if you think that **I** think of you that way, you're wrong. You're like a sister to me, Sammy. I care about you like my sister."

"Mikey, that's so sweet," Samantha whispered, hugging the fun-loving turtle again.

"Thanks. Now, I want you to come back to the Lair to give Master Splinter and the others some peace of mind. Otherwise, Leo and Donny are gonna be zombies in the morning."

"Heaven forbid **that** should ever happen!" Samantha giggled.

"Trust me: it's **not** a pretty sight!" chuckled Mikey as he helped her into the Sewer Slider. Hopping into the driver's seat once more, Mikey powered up the Sewer Slider and the two took off for the roundabout that Mikey would swing around and then take them both back home.

* * *

Leo was pacing in his room. What could be taking Mikey so long? Had he found Samantha yet? He'd tried calling Mikey's Shell-cell but had soon discovered that he'd left it in his room (as usual). Leo had been training with Master Splinter, trying to perfect his leaping split kick, but it was no use. He wouldn't be able to relax or sleep or do anything properly until he knew that Samantha was safe. But was she? She could be wandering around, injured and dazed and then just fall through a hole or something. Leo felt his heart seize at the thought of the ninja princess out there, alone and bleeding. Ever since he'd met her, he'd felt this strong drive to protect her at all costs. When he'd seen the ninjas about to throw the shurikens at her the first night they'd met, even though she'd been a stranger to him, he'd felt that urge to keep her safe, to protect her. It was almost as if something inside him was designed for that purpose alone.

"Hello? Are there any mutants home?" called the familiar voice of Michelangelo. Leo immediately raced out of his room and leapt downstairs and hurried over to the Sewer Slider which was parked beside the kitchen.

"Mikey! Did you find…?" Leo began to ask, but he stopped when he saw a familiar, chestnut-haired girl climbing out of the vehicle, her clothes stained with dirt from the tunnels, but otherwise safe, sound and beautiful.

"Samantha?" Leo whispered. She smiled and nodded. He rushed over and took her in his arms, hugging her tightly.

"Leo! Easy! I wasn't gone **that** long!" Samantha laughed as she hugged her blue-bandana turtle back. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. God, her eyes were gorgeous! The smile she wore on her face warmed his skin like the Sun. He pulled her close to him, reveling in her closeness to him. There was nothing that mattered to him more at that moment than Samantha Bushido, a ninja princess and descendent of the founder of the martial arts code, being in his arms.

"Thank God you're alright!" he murmured against her hair. "Thank God you're safe!"

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I…I just…"

"It's not your fault, Samantha," Leo told her firmly. "It's **mine**. If I'd warned Raph earlier about…"

"Leo. Do you **honestly** think you can control what comes out of Raph's mouth?" Samantha inquired.

"I can always hope," Leo joked as Samantha rolled her eyes.

"You amaze me sometimes, Leonardo. Now, where's Donny?"

"In his lab. I can take you there if you want."

"Sure. But before I forget…" She walked over to Mikey and planted a soft, gentle kiss on his cheek, causing a wide grin to appear on Mikey's face. "Thanks for coming after me, Mikey. And for setting the record straight. I can always count on you."

"No problem, dudette!" Mikey replied, rubbing his cheek. Samantha turned and missed seeing the look of death Leo shot his brother. Mikey simply chuckled and wandered off to play his video games.

* * *

Don was just recording some more information about the mysterious crystals when a knock came at the door.

"What is it **this** time, Leo?" he groaned, not looking up from his writing.

"Wow! Am I suddenly an unwanted guest in the presence of one of such high intellect?" teased a familiar, female voice. Don dropped his pen and whipped around to see Samantha standing in the doorway, Leo behind her.

"Sam!" Donny cried, running towards her and hugging her tightly. She hugged Don back, reveling in the feel of his strong arms around her. She'd never felt so safe except for with one other person: Leo.

"I'm gonna go and tell Sensei the good news," Leo said as he turned to go.

"Leo, wait!" Samantha shouted, breaking away from Don. Leo turned back.

"Yes, Samantha?"

"There's…umm…something I need to ask you. Can we talk in private later?"

"Sure. I guess. Meet you at the dojo in ten minutes?"

"Sounds good." With that, Leo turned and went to go find Master Splinter and inform him of Samantha's return. Samantha turned back to Don, whose eyes had darkened with what Samantha was beginning to suspect was jealousy. Was Don jealous that she was meeting Leo in the dojo to talk? Did that mean he liked her? Did he think that Leo liked her? **Did** Leo like her? There were too many unsolved questions floating around in her head, so she decided to ease his fears a little.

"So, what have you been working on in my absence, my turtle genius?" she asked, gaining Don's attention. He led her over to the table where the crystals and his lab journal lay on the table. Grabbing the tongs nearby, Samantha picked up one of the crystals and studied it carefully. They were almost sky-blue in color with whitish areas on them. Being in crystalline form, they were shaped almost like a triangular prism.

"I found these crystals when we were moving into the Lair," Don explained. "I've been studying them and trying to identify them. But…"

"There's no record of them in any scientific or geological database," Samantha finished, taking another look at the strange crystal. For some reason, she'd sworn she'd seen this type of crystal somewhere.

"And what if I told you that the crystalline structure looked similar to some sort of mutated brain cells?"

"And what if **I** told **you** that there's nothing going on between me and Leonardo?" Don coughed and turned back to the crystals.

"What gave you **that** idea, Sam?"

"Oh, nothing really. Just you giving him a look that could be interpreted as "I'm gonna rip you into Turtle sushi if you do anything to her in that dojo, which includes kissing, touching her or attempting to seduce her.""

"It…it's not like that, Sam."

"Donatello. Look at me." There was a tone of authority in her voice that made the genius turtle look up from his "work" and right into the eyes of the young, ninja princess.

"I think you're cute and intelligent and the sweetest guy…er, Turtle, I've ever met," Sam began.

"And **this** is the part where you let me down gently and tell me that we're better off staying friends because I'm not your type and that I'll find a great girl someday, right?" Don jumped in sourly. Sam blinked and then frowned.

"No. What I was going to say was that…I like you, Donny. But I…I just don't know if taking things to the next level between us is the best decision. And I mean for the both of us. There are still some…_issues_ I need to take of first."

"It's alright," Don replied, standing and facing her, the relief he was feeling written all over his face. "I understand completely. Take all the time you need."

"Thanks. Now, I've gotta go talk to Leo in the dojo. Promise you won't spy on us or do something drastic?"

"Who do you think I am? Mikey?"

"No," Samantha laughed. Then, she leaned in and gave Don a sweet, gentle kiss on the cheek. "I think you're a genius who worries about me too much which is almost as annoying as it is sweet. I'll swing by later, but come get me if you find out anything else about these crystals."

"Will do," Don told her before turning back and sitting down at the lab table again. The smile he wore on his face was so bright, the Sun would've been blinded by its brilliance.

"And Don?" Samantha called from the door to the lab.

"Yeah, Sam?"

"Even if by some random, cosmic coincidence Leo and I **did** become a couple, you'd always still be my turtle genius. Remember that." Even after Samantha was gone, the crystals were the furthest thing from Don's mind. He tried studying them, but his brain couldn't find the will to focus on crystals that could, for all he knew, be dangerous to him, his family, and the girl he loved. The girl he loved. That was what Samantha had become with that kiss on the cheek she'd given him. And as Donatello kept turning over those last words she'd spoken in his mind, he began wondering if that beautiful kiss was a promise of her love for him or a promise of something he'd longed for, but would never get to have.

**Aw! Aren't they adorable? OK. So, when you guys review, I want you to add the name of the turtle you think she should be with. It won't happen for a little bit, but I wanna see what the reviewers are thinking. And...review!**


	9. Chapter 9

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

Samantha Bushido is not only the daughter of the founder of ninjutsu, but also possesses a powerful amulet that could destroy humanity. One of the Turtles has been ordained to protect her. But will her love for 2 turtles bring about the end of the world?

**Hey. First, thanks to my beautiful reviewers pokemonjkl and White Fairy Writer! Also, thanks to White Fairy Writer for adding this story to your favorites! Guys, please review this story! Reviews are what keep me going, but I understand that you all have lives outside this site, so just drop a review when you have a moment to spare! In this chapter, I reveal a hidden talent of Samantha's suggested by the wonderful pokemonjkl! Also, Leo and Sam are getting closer! OK, on with the story!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! I wish I did, but Eastman and Laird have that privilege! All O/C are mine though!

Chapter Nine

The dojo was empty when Samantha arrived. Leonardo was probably still talking to Master Splinter about Sam's return to the Lair and how best to approach the situation. She smiled and shook her head. That Leo. He was always trying to make sure everything went smoothly. Suddenly, a vortex appeared and the figure of a familiar face came into view.

"Yoshi?" Samantha exclaimed in surprise.

"Hello Princess Bushido-san," he greeted politely, bowing. She bowed in return, pleased to see her friend after such a long time apart.

"How're things back at the palace?"

"Fine. Everyone is fine. We have more important matters to discuss. Like your mission. Have you located The Great Evil yet, Princess?"

"No, Yoshi. Not yet. But I…"

"Princess! Do you have **any** idea how important this mission is? Do you know what will happen if he gets his hands on the Amulet?"

"Yoshi! It's not like I haven't been trying! But I have other important things to do in my life. Like my schoolwork, talking with my friends, hanging out with the Turtles, and…"

"All excuses! Did you know that a young ninja at your father's academy approached me about proposing to you?"

"You mean, like, **marriage**?"

"Yes. Marriage, child."

"Yoshi, I'm only **17**! I have my whole life ahead of me to fall in love with the right guy and get married!"

"He is highly-skilled, from a good family, and is loyal to your father's code without wavering! Your parents would want this to happen! They would want your future to be secure!"

"They would also let me follow my heart and not force marriage on me!"

"Your father would never have allowed his heart to get in the way of his duties to his family and their honor! He made sacrifices and so should you. You cannot be a selfish child!"

"**Marriage** is not my duty, Yoshi! It's my **choice**!"

"You are wrong, Princess Bushido-san! Marriage and avenging your father are your duties, and with this poor attitude of yours, you will fail miserably, my friend! What has come over you? You are not the Princess I once knew as a little girl: obedient, never questioning those who knew better. You must change your ways, Samantha…or I fear your Father will remain unavenged… forever, and **you** will be a disgraced spinster." Then, both Yoshi and the vortex vanished. Samantha felt like crying as Yoshi's harsh words pierced her heart. But tears would be useless. So she turned to the one thing she knew could express her feelings better than tears.

* * *

Leo was just coming into the dojo area when he saw a vortex swirling there with an elderly man standing in the midst. Samantha was talking to him, and from the sound of their voices, they were having an argument.

"**Marriage** is not my duty, Yoshi! It's my **choice**!"

"You are wrong, Princess Bushido-san! Marriage and avenging your father are your duties, and with this poor attitude of yours, you will fail miserably, my friend! What has come over you? You are not the Princess I once knew as a little girl: obedient, never questioning those who knew better. You must change your ways, Samantha…or I fear your Father will remain unavenged… forever, and **you** will be a disgraced spinster."

The vortex had vanished and Samantha was all alone in the dojo. But before Leo could take a step inside, he heard her begin to do something that surprised him. She began…to sing:

_Look at me.  
I will never pass for a perfect bride.  
Or a perfect daughter. Can it be  
I'm not meant to play this part?_

Leo silently and stealthily followed her from the dojo to the small bridge that sat across the small pond in the Lair. As she prepared to go on to the bridge, she unclipped the red rose ornament that she'd been wearing in her hair and allowed it to fall onto the stone floor of the Lair. Deciding to take the chance that she might see him, he stepped out into the open._  
_

_Now I see  
That if I were truly to be myself  
I would break my family's heart._

He picked up the rose ornament that she had discarded from her hair and held it in his two hands as he gazed up at the young woman, her hair loose and flowing. It seemed to shine brightly in the dim light of the Lair, making her like an angel come down from heaven. She was standing in the middle of the bridge, staring down into the water._  
_

_Who is that girl I see?  
Staring straight  
Back at me?  
Why is my reflection someone  
I don't know?_

Leo didn't even notice his brothers were there with him until Mikey and Don were both about to step onto the bridge. Leo held his arms out, blocking their path. With the way blocked, all four were instantly transfixed by Samantha's melodious voice._  
_

_Somehow I cannot hide  
Who I am  
Though I've tried.  
When will my reflection show  
Who I am inside?_

Don's breath caught when she sung that line. She knew where to crescendo and where to soften her voice. She looked and sounded so angelic that it made his heart beat wildly._  
_

_When will my reflection show  
Who I am inside?_

Samantha walked silently and solemnly off the bridge and back towards the dojo. The four brothers were stunned by both the sweetness of her voice and the hidden melancholy of the song she'd just sung.

"Dat was incredible!" Raph breathed, watching the young, ninja princess.

"It made me cry!" Mikey sniffled, wiping away an imaginary tear. Raph promptly smacked him upside his head.

"Be serious, chucklehead!" Raph scolded.

"I am!" Mikey whined, rubbing his head. "She was amazing!"

"I didn't know she could sing," Don said, his voice betraying the awe and admiration he was feeling for the young girl.

"I didn't know she felt so…divided," Leo said plainly. Her voice had almost hypnotized him. There were no words that he could think of right then to describe how melodious and beautiful the young woman's voice had been.

"Whadda mean, bro?" Raph inquired.

"Her reflection's showing something different from who she really is inside," Leo explained, gazing down at the rose in his hands. "Someone named Yoshi was talking to her, and he was pretty harsh with his words!"

"Wait! She mentioned someone named Yoshi to me!" Don remembered. "He's a mystic...and her friend. Or at least, she thought he was."

"Den I'm kicking Mr. Yoshi's sorry behind!" Raph declared, socking his fist into his hand. "Friend or enemy!"

"That won't help, Raph," Leo shot down immediately. "I'll talk to her, see what's going on, and maybe get her to open up about why she feels the way she does."

"What are ya, Leo? A shrink or a ninja?" Raph snapped.

"I may be a ninja, Raphael, but I'm also a good friend," Leo answered, turning his back on his brothers and heading for the dojo. "And leaving a friend to suffer through her crisis alone is **not** something a good friend does."

* * *

Samantha was sitting on the edge of the circular, arena-like space where all of their ninja training took place, swinging her legs back and forth. Leo was standing in the shadows, the rose clutched in his hand. _Focus, Leonardo_! He told himself, taking a deep breath. _Focus! You can do this! She's your friend! You've got nothing to worry about! Just go and talk to her!_

"Hey." She looked up and saw Leo standing over her, holding something in his right hand.

"Hey!" she greeted, smiling. "I was beginning to think you'd been abducted by aliens or something!"

"Sorry. I…uh…needed Master Splinter's advice on something and it took a lot longer than I thought it would."

"Leonardo?"

"Yeah?"

"You know you suck at lying, right?"

"I don't know what you're…"

"Save it,** Fearless**! I already know that you overheard my little _tête-à-tête_ with Yoshi." Her eyes darkened at the memory. Leo tentatively sat down beside her.

"Actually, I only heard the last few words he said before he vanished. But I **did **hear your song." Her head immediately snapped up, her eyes alert and the shock on her face clear as day.

"You heard that?"

"Hey, hey! Take it easy! You were amazing, Samantha! I never knew you could sing so…beautifully."

"You never asked."

"Point taken. But there's something I need to ask you."

"Leo. There's something I need to ask you, too."

"Well…ladies first."

"Alright. Why does Raph call you "Fearless"?"

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain. But I think the main reason why he calls me that is because I'm kinda the leader of the four of us and that's the position he's always wanted. So, he jabs that I'm not afraid of anything since I'm always "fearless" about diving into action. Hence, the nickname."

"I see. Your turn."

"OK. What did Yoshi say to you that made you feel as though you're hiding who you really are?" Even though he already had a feeling he knew, he wanted to see what else had transpired between the two of them.

"The song gave that away, didn't it?"

Leo smirked. "Kinda hard not to see what the problem was after singing that song."

Samantha took a deep breath. "He said that my father would never have allowed his heart to get in the way of his duties to his family and their honor. He told me I've changed, and that if I didn't go back to how I used to be as a child, my father would never be avenged and I would be a disgraced spinster."

"Why'd he say that?"

"I…I can't tell you that, Leo. Not right now." She gazed down at the Amulet, and Leo followed her eyes and could silently read that the Amulet had something to do with it.

"Alright. But just so you know, we all love you, Samantha Bushido. You're family, and we care about you. You're not just a beautiful, young woman. We see a young, highly-skilled ninja who's brave, caring, intelligent and has skills that some of us don't."

"Like _cooking_ skills, my Fearless leader?" she shot back playfully. Leo's eye ridges immediately rose at the nickname she'd given him.

""My Fearless leader?"" he repeated, his voice sounding disbelieving.

"It's a good fit for you. None of your other brothers had the courage to be "fearless" and come talk to me. **You** did. And that makes you **my** Fearless leader."

"Alright. Just…don't let the others hear you call me that. I'd **never** hear the end of it from Raph and Mikey."

"Deal."

"Just remember, Samantha: a true ninja finds balance in all things," Leonardo intoned solemnly, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Whether they're matters of the mind or matters of the heart."

"Thanks Leo," she replied, smiling.

"And if you ever need to talk to someone…I'm here for you. Day or night, you can talk to me."

"You are such a sweetheart, Leonardo!" She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her back. Then, he did something that shocked the two of them. He pulled back a little and planted a soft, sweet kiss on her forehead. Sam and Leo locked eyes and then looked away, both of them turning red.

"Hope I'm not interrupting somethin'!" chuckled a smarmy voice. Leo and Samantha turned to see Raphael standing nearby, arms crossed over his plastron, a smirk plastered on his face. Sam slid out of Leo's arms and scooted a little bit away from him.

"Whatever gave you that idea Hothead?" she asked him, hiding her blushing cheeks. Raph chuckled.

"What is it, Raph?" Leo asked, sounding annoyed at the interruption and that his brother found this amusing.

"Just came ta tell you two lovebirds that we're going after that vigilante whackback who waxed the floor with me," Raph informed them, the smirk disappearing. "He told me to meet 'im in Central Park Friday Night for a rematch. You two in?"

"And let **you** have all the fun, "Hothead"?" Leo said, smirking as he used the nickname Samantha had been calling his younger brother since the first time she'd come over. Raph scowled but didn't say a word in retaliation. Leo turned away from Raph and faced Samantha.

"You in, Samantha?" Samantha practically beamed.

"Any action that could lead to me kicking serious butt is cool with me!" she chirped. Leo laughed and leapt to his feet before holding out a hand to help Samantha up. She grasped it and allowed him to haul her up. The three of them headed towards the living room where Samantha assumed Donny and Mikey were waiting for them. It wasn't a long journey, but when they reached the living room, both Leonardo and Samantha were fully aware that they were still holding hands.

**Ooo. Look out, Donny! You've got competition! The song Samantha sings is "Reflection" from the Disney movie Mulan (as if you clever readers didn't know that already). And what's with the usually calm and friendly Yoshi going nuclear on poor Samantha? Anyways, next time, in chapter ten: fighting! Yay! Will update soon and please use the little button with the word "review" on it! Thank you very much! And...review! **


	10. Chapter 10

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

Samantha Bushido is not only the daughter of the founder of ninjutsu, but also possesses a powerful amulet that could destroy humanity. One of the Turtles has been ordained to protect her. But will her love for 2 turtles bring about the end of the world?

**Hey. First, thanks to my beautiful _solo_ reviewer pokemonjkl ! Guys, please review this story! Reviews are what keep me going, but I understand that you all have lives outside this site, so just drop a review when you have a moment to spare! So, it's finally here: fighting at last! Enjoy! On with the story!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! I wish I did, but Eastman and Laird have that privilege! All O/C are mine though!

Chapter Ten

Samantha immediately noticed the shock on Don's face and dropped Leo's hand like lightning. _Great! _ she thought to herself. _Now he's gonna think something really **is** going on between Leo and me!_ She sat down on the arm of the chair, Leo standing behind her. Don's face was impassive, but she knew inside, he was jealous and disappointed. What was wrong with her? She had feelings for Don, but there was also something about Leo that made her suspect she had feelings for him, too. Why couldn't she choose?

"May I kiss the hand of the great singer Samantha?" Mikey said, taking her hand in his and pressing a chivalrous kiss to it. She giggled.

"So, I'm guessing you **all** heard me singing," Samantha said, looking at the four brothers. Raphael and Donny both nodded.

"Dis place does tend to echo a bit," Raph joked.

"Plus, I heard you from the open door of my lab when you passed by on the way to the bridge," Don added, moving to stand in front of her. He picked up her hand, ignored the hard look Leonardo was giving him, and brought it to his lips. Then, he turned it over and pressed a kiss into her palm. "_Très belle, chérie. Très belle."_

"Are you **all** this charming with women?" she chuckled, blushing as Don released her hand and smiled roguishly at her. He'd not only called her singing "beautiful" in French, but he'd also called her "darling". A guy had **actually** called her "darling"!

"Only when she's a knockout, Princess," Raph informed her.

"OK. As much as I'd love to sit here and continue this playful banter, don't we have a vigilante to find?" Samantha inquired, sensing that Leo and Don were about to either duel over her or try to out-charm the other.

"Er, right. Let's go," Leo said, his natural leadership instincts kicking back in. Samantha leapt off the arm of the couch and quickly held her Amulet aloft in the air. There was a bright flash of blue light and suddenly, she was dressed in her black and red battle suit, her wakizashi strapped to her back, tanto and shurikens tucked into little pockets on her belt. She noticed the four turtles staring at her in amazement.

"Yeah. I kinda forget to you that my Amulet could do that," she said, grinning sheepishly.

"Wow! Awesome!" Mikey crowed.

"Thanks. Now, let's get going," she said, walking towards the doors of the Lair.

"Actually. Follow us, Sam," Don said, grabbing her hand and pulling her in the opposite direction.

"I dunno about this, you guys. Shouldn't we tell Master Splinter?" Leo asked as the five tiptoed across the Lair past the dojo.

"And have 'im stop us from goin' topside?" Raph shot back. "We gotta stop that vigilante whackback for his own good! He's not bad. Just…a little misguided." Just then, the lights came on and a pointed cough from the main switch made all five turn and look at Master Splinter.

"Busted!" Mikey groaned.

"How many times have I told you never to sneak up to the surface?" Master Splinter scolded.

"You mean, this month?" Mikey asked nervously.

"512, actually," Don answered.

"You **seriously** kept count?" Samantha inquired, eyebrows raised.

"You cannot simply walk among the surface dwellers," Master Splinter reminded them, leaning on his walking stick as he walked towards them. "Unlike the few we have met, they will not accept who and what you are. It is as the great warrior Hashi Kurahara once said: "Why walk when you can ride?"." All five teenagers looked at one another in confusion.

"What?" Raph inquired. Master Splinter smiled and tossed a set of keys at Donatello. Don turned and the wall seemed to slide open.

"Take the truck," Master Splinter told them. Still holding Samantha's hand, Don and the others stepped inside and the doors slid closed.

* * *

"So, you guys just found this huge, abandoned warehouse by yourselves?" Samantha inquired as the secret elevator opened and they stepped out. The armored truck that they'd ridden in the first night they'd met sat in the center.

"OK. We've got 'til Friday night to make this bad boy ready," Raph announced. "Let's get to work."

"One second," Samantha said, taking out her Shell-cell and dialing Uncle Kenji's cell number. "I just have to let my uncle know where I'll be."

"Does he know about us being…?" Leo began to ask.

"Mutant ninja turtles?" Samantha finished, putting the phone to her ear. "Yeah. Yoshi told him about you guys before I came here. I'm surprised he hasn't asked to meet you guys, yet."

"Well, we'd love to meet him!" Mikey exclaimed happily.

"Really?" Samantha questioned in shock.

"Well, since he knows about our..._appearance_, it'll be alright," Leo told her, shrugging.

"Thanks guys," she said before she heard the answering machine kick in. "Shoot! I'll have to leave a message. Hey, Uncle Kenji. It's Samantha. Listen, I'm gonna be with the Turtles until Friday night. Something's come up, and they need me to help. Don't worry. They'll drive me home. Call me back when you get the chance. Love you. Bye."

"Aww! Sammy loves her uncle!" Mikey cooed, making a cutie-face. "How sweet!"

"Raph, hand me that wrench please!" Samantha said, smiling. Grinning, Raph picked up the wrench and handed it to the ninja princess. Mikey's cutie-face disappeared and a scared one replaced it.

"You wouldn't."

"Try me," she replied as she leapt over the hood of the truck and chased Mikey with the wrench. He screamed and ran around the truck, Samantha behind him, wielding the wrench. Suddenly, someone grabbed Sam around the waist and held her against their plastron.

"Easy, Samantha!" chuckled Leo as she struggled to get free and pound his youngest brother.

"No, Leo! Let me go! Lemme pound him!" she laughed, trying to break free but failing. Then, she gave up. He was too strong.

"Calm?" Leo questioned. She craned her neck to look him in the eyes and smiled.

"Calm. Thanks." He smiled back.

"No problem."

"I think I'm gonna puke!" Don muttered crossly under his breath. Raph, who had the hearing of a bat, simply chuckled and patted his brother's shoulder gently.

"C'mon, Brainiac!" he chuckled, guiding Don over to the armored truck. "We've got a lot of work to do!"

* * *

Two days later, Samantha and the Turtles were staring at the Battle Shell, new and improved. Samantha couldn't believe she'd help make this amazing monster of steel. Thankfully, she had Fridays off from school.

"It's incredible!" Raph breathed.

"You haven't seen anything yet!" Don said, smiling. "Everyone, get in!" Don jumped into the driver's seat while the others scrambled into the back. Leo took shotgun and Samantha sat down in one of the other four chairs next to Mikey. She gazed in amazement at the numerous consoles and buttons in front of her. Weapons, tracking systems, RADAR, infrared and other awesome techno toys. Donatello had really outdone himself this time. There was even something under a tarp in the center of the truck that Samantha knew Don had cooked up. She was majorly impressed with the genius turtle. Strapping in, Don drove out of the garage and headed into the city towards Central Park.

"And on your left is Central Park," Don informed them, sounding like a tour guide. "500 square acres of…"

"Dere he is!" Raph shouted. Samantha undid her seatbelt and rushed to the front of the Battle Shell. A man with dark hair wearing a hockey mask over his face and carrying a bag filled with hockey sticks, golf clubs and baseball bats zoomed past them on a motorcycle.

"Floor it, Donny! Keep up with 'im!" Raph commanded.

"Go get him, Raph!" Don told him. "I whipped up something in the back just for you." Raph pushed past Samantha and threw the tarp off of a beautiful red motorcycle.

"Like it? I call it: the Shell Cycle!" Don said, a hint of pride in his voice.

"Donatello, you **are** the turtle!" Raph declared, putting on the matching helmet and revving the bike up. He burst through the back doors of the Battle Shell and took off after the vigilante.

"You know you're making me one of those Shell Cycles, right Donny?" Samantha told him.

"Birthday present or Christmas gift?" Don shot back cheekily.

"Ooo. Birthday present. October 16th. Think you can do it in such a short time?"

"I'll try," Don chuckled, smiling at Sam in the front above the dashboard. Suddenly, a rough voice could be heard over the transmission radio in Raph's helmet.

"Neither of ya are leaving this park! At least…not on two feet!"

"Don! Central Park! Step on it!" Samantha commanded. Don quickly turned around and followed the Shell Cycle's signal to close to the middle of the park. Samantha looked and saw Raph, the vigilante and about twenty to thirty heavily-armed gangsters in their headlights. She and the others quickly leapt out and stood at Raph's side.

"Friends of yours?" the vigilante asked Raph.

"Brothers and friend, actually," Raph admitted.

"I can see the family resemblance," the vigilante chuckled.

"**I'm** the pretty one!" Mikey offered. Samantha groaned and shook her head.

"Dragons, take 'em all out! Including the girl!" a man with a purple dragon covering his face and holding a metal pipe commanded the thugs.

"Let's kick some shell!" Samantha declared, unsheathing her wakizashi and leaping into the fray.

"Ooo. I **like** her," the vigilante said, eyeing Samantha as she took two Purple Dragons with her sword. "She seeing anyone?"

"She's taken," Leo and Don said at the same time before turning to each other, exchanging glares and then leaping into battle.

"OK?" the vigilante said.

"It's a long story," Raph chuckled. Then he, the vigilante and Mikey leapt into the fight.

"Hey guys! I got my split kick right!" Leo yelled to Raph, Casey and Samantha, who'd just leapt in to save Raph from being hit from behind by a chain-wielding gangster.

"We missed it! Do it again!" Raph shouted back. Samantha took out another thug and missed seeing Leo's split kick. She turned around and two more thugs were on the ground.

"One more time!" Samantha hollered, smiling. Grinning, Leo did his split kick one more time perfectly.

"I give ya a ten!" the vigilante said, holding up both hands. Samantha did the same as did Raph.

"Hey! Only six, Raph?" Leo joked, pretending to look disappointed.

"It's all I got, bro!" Raph laughed, taking out more Dragons. Samantha had just taken out two more thugs when she saw the same inverted, red, dragon claw on the shoulder of the leader of the "Dragons". Her blood boiled and she could feel the _tengu _become excited. Her Amulet was probably beginning to glow, and suddenly, the world turned red for her. She leapt into the air and kicked the thug hard in the back. Landing face first in the dirt, he turned and saw Samantha standing over him. He raised his metal pipe, but Sam slashed it out of his hand and put her foot on his chest.

"Tell me where he is!" she growled.

"I dunno nothing!" he snarled.

"You KNOW who he is!" she roared. She started shaking, and by the scared look on his face, the _tengu_ had partly possessed her faster than she'd thought. "TELL ME WHERE HE IS!" Her voice sounded eerie, a deep, monstrous voice she'd heard in a movie once. She was shaking; she could feel the evil of the creature flowing through her body.

**_Yes. Yes! Destroy him, Samantha! If he won't give you what you want, then he's of no use to us!_**

"Yes," she hissed. "_Destroy!_"

"Get away from me!" the man screamed, trying to get away.

* * *

"Get away from me!" Leo heard someone scream. He whipped around and saw Samantha standing over the leader of the group of Purple Dragons. He was looking up at her, terrified and he was shaking violently. She was shaking, too, with her sword upraised.

"What is she doing?" Leonardo wondered aloud. Kicking away one last thug, he sheathed his swords and hurried towards her. "Samantha!"

* * *

The moment he said her name, it was as though the spell had been broken. Her vision almost instantly became normal again, and she took her foot off of the man's chest. Suddenly, she felt very weak and staggered backwards, collapsing into the waiting arms of Leonardo.

"Samantha! Are you OK?" She looked up at him as she pushed herself upright, Leo still maintaining a tight grip on her waist. Her hand rested against his chest.

"Yes. I'm alright," she whispered. "Thank you." Then, she turned to the thug, who'd gotten up and picked up the pipe. Leo pushed Sam to the side and took out his weapon with two, quick katana slashes. Then, a strong kick knocked the man out for good. Leo quickly turned back to Samantha, whose Amulet, he noticed, was faintly glowing and then stopped. She still looked weak, but with an arm around her shoulders, Leo guided her back to the others who were grouped close to the Battle Shell.

"I know I'm gonna regret saying this, but…I'm glad I met ya, crazy man," Raph said to the vigilante.

"Me too, green dome," the man replied.

"By the way, who are you?" Samantha inquired.

"Name's Casey Jones," he replied, smiling. "And you are?"

"Samantha. Samantha Bushido," she answered.

"But anyways, like I was saying, green dome, I'm starting to see what yer all about," Casey told Raph.

"Oh. You mean about balance and self-control?" Raph said.

"Nah! That yer a little, green, mutant freak!" Casey laughed, punching Raph in the shoulder. "But I like ya!" Raph laughed and punched Casey back. The two continued punching each other until they were rolling on the ground in an all-out brawl.

"He' s **your** brother," Leo said to Mikey.

"No, no, no! He's **yours**!" Mikey joked, stepping back.

"Absolutely…yours," Leo laughed. Just then, Samantha tried to hide a yawn, but it was useless. "And it looks like it's bedtime for you, little one," he chuckled to Samantha.

"Hey! I'm only one year younger than you, Leo!" she shot back, punching him in the arm. "Don't push it!"

"I'm still older!" he teased, earning another punch in the arm. She was about to punch him a third time when he grabbed her fist mid-punch and slung her arm over his neck before sweeping her off her feet bridal style.

"Put me down!" she shouted, laughing, hitting his plastron. Leo only chuckled as he walked to the back of the Battle Shell with her in his arms.

"Showoff!" Don muttered angrily before breaking up the fight between Raph and Casey.

"Oh boy!" Mikey groaned. He knew that things had been tense between Don and Leo lately, but this latest stunt by his oldest brother had just turned a minor battle into a full-scale war. And it didn't take a genius to figure out that **this** war was gonna be uglier than Raph at two in the morning.

**I LOL'ed when I wrote that last line! It's pure gold! But Leo's definitely turned up the charm. What's poor Donny to do? You'll have to read on to find out! Anyways, reviews as usual and since I'm on a TMNT high right now, might get the next chapter up pretty soon. And review...now!**


	11. Chapter 11

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

Samantha Bushido is not only the daughter of the founder of ninjutsu, but also possesses a powerful amulet that could destroy humanity. One of the Turtles has been ordained to protect her. But will her love for 2 turtles bring about the end of the world?

**Surprise! Lucky ducks! Two updates (maybe more) in one day! Loving TMNT right now! Enjoy! On with the story!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! I wish I did, but Eastman and Laird have that privilege! All O/C are mine though!

Chapter Eleven

"Turn left at the next light, Don," Samantha instructed as the Battle Shell cruised along the empty streets of Westchester County. Lights illuminated the windows of houses with tall, dark gates that kept the owners safe and added an air of mystery to their dwellings.

"These houses are amazing, Samantha!" Don breathed. "You **live** in this part of town?"

"Yep," Samantha answered, leaning back against her seat as Don made the turn and drove down a small street.

"What number is it?"

"45 Grandville Drive. It's on the end, close to this small side street."

"Got it. It should be coming up on our left. Right…about…now." He slammed on the brakes, causing Sam to jerk forward and then back.

"We're here!" Don announced.

"Thanks for the whiplash, Brainiac!" Raph scolded, rubbing his sore neck.

"Seriously, Don! Driving **isn't** one of your better skills!" Mikey added, rubbing his head.

"C'mon, Mikey. Lighten up on Don," Samantha said, defending her turtle genius. "Beside, you probably would've crashed this thing!" Raph and Don cackled while Leo simply smiled.

"I'm not **that** bad!" Mikey shot back.

"Sure. Now, Don: there's a side gate on the small side street that isn't so heavily guarded. Go there."

"We're sneaking in?" Leo inquired.

"No. I just don't want all of Westchester asking questions about a huge truck parked outside Timothy Kenji's house in the middle of the night," Samantha replied.

"I like the way you think, Princess," Raph chuckled.

"I'm a ninja princess, remember?" she laughed. "Stealth and secrecy are my game!" Don smiled as he drove down the small side street and found the small, iron gate. Samantha slipped out first and opened it. She motioned for the others to follow her, which they did.

"This is my uncle's prize-winning garden," she told them as they strolled along a beautiful, round-stone path. Rosebushes lined the sides along with other flowers in various hues and colors. Don quickly stopped and picked one, stem and all. It was time to step up his game if he had any hope of winning Samantha's heart.

"The pool and Jacuzzi are off that way at the back of the house," Samantha continued, pointing to the right. "And the tennis court is on the other side of the house. And my room is up there," she finished, pointing to a white balcony that housed a chair swing with a green-and-white awning.

"Ya got yer own balcony?" Raph asked in shock. "Who's yer uncle? Bill Gates?"

"Timothy Kenji," Don informed him. "Founder and CEO of Kenji and Huang Co.: the biggest and most advanced micro technology company worldwide."

"My uncle's got his own, private lab in the house," Samantha told Don, smiling as they reached the wall with a white fencing that stretched up past her balcony and was covered with ivy and leaves. "He sometimes bring some of their work home."

"Really? Think I could see it sometime?" Don inquired excitedly.

"Sure," she replied. "Hey! I've got an idea! Next weekend, why don't you guys come over for a sleepover? We've got more than enough guestrooms for you four and Master Splinter! Plus, I still have to kick Mikey's butt in that video game showdown I promised him! We'll get pizza and junk food and watch horror movies and Donny can see my uncle's lab and you guys can relax and get to know my uncle a little more. What do you say?"

"I say…awesomely radical idea, dudette!" Mikey crowed, high-threeing Sam.

"Cool! I'm in!" Don seconded.

"If ya guys got cable, I'll come," Raph told her.

"We have satellite and 857 channels," Samantha answered. "Sportsnet, NBC, ABC, RAW, WWE…"

"Whoa! WWE? I'm **definitely** there!" Raph yelled. Then, everyone looked at Leo, who looked undecided. He looked at Samantha and then looked away.

"If Master Splinter says it's alright, then fine. We'll come," Leo decided. Everyone cheered and Samantha threw herself into Leo's arms, hugging him.

"You are an **angel!**" she squealed, planting a kiss on his cheek. She broke away and Leo blushed, his fingers brushing against the cheek she'd just kissed. He prayed his brothers hadn't seen her kiss him, but he was dead wrong.

"Oooo! Leo and Samantha sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Mikey sang. Leo's face turned dark-red and Samantha quickly grabbed Don's bo staff from its holder.

"Mind if I borrow this?" she inquired. He smiled and gestured for her to proceed. She snuck up behind Mikey and then whacked him in the head with Don's staff.

"OW!" Mikey yelped. Raph snickered and Leo looked relieved. Samantha smiled and tossed the staff back to Don, who caught it easily.

"Thanks. You're a sweetheart," Sam told Don as she passed him on her way back to the wall.

"Then allow me to go first and secure the perimeter, Sam," Don offered. She smiled and gestured for him to proceed. Don smiled, took out his bo staff and took several, large steps back. Then, he ran and when he was still far enough from the wall, he used his staff like an athlete doing the pole vault would, and grabbed onto the fencing with one hand. He heard a light round of applause and smiled as he climbed the remaining few inches and climbed onto the balcony.

"All clear!" he called down to the others. Samantha went next, and as she climbed, Don took the rose out of his belt and examined it. Good. It hadn't begun wilting yet. He quickly hid it behind his back. Samantha's head appeared and Don hurried over and helped her climb over the railing of the balcony. He then produced the rose from behind his back and held it out to her.

"A rose for the finest ninja princess in New York City?" Don asked playfully. She smiled, took the rose and sniffed it, inhaling its intoxicating freshness.

"Ooo. Donatello!" she purred, her eyes gleaming with a mischievous light in them. "Behave!" She smiled and then sashayed past him and opened the balcony doors which led into her room.

"Welcome to my room!" she declared as Mikey was the last to climb over the balcony. The four brothers stared as they walked into the spacious room. A huge, king-size bed with a golden canopy hanging over it was close to the balcony doors. A huge armoire, a private bathroom, a chandelier hanging overhead, a Macbook sitting on a large desk in the corner, charging and various other trinkets of the rich and wealthy littered the room.

"Awesome, dudette!" Mikey breathed as he gazed around the space. Just then, someone knocked on the door before opening it, and in stepped a man in his early thirties who was tall with deep-sea blue eyes and a small goatee. Samantha smiled and hugged the man who chuckled.

"Welcome home, my cherry blossom!" he chuckled, hugging her back.

"Uncle. These are the Turtles," Samantha said, gesturing to the four ninjas, who all bowed respectfully to Uncle Kenji who stepped away from Samantha and bowed back.

"_Konichiwa, _Turtles," Uncle Kenji greeted, straightening. "I am Timothy Kenji, Samantha's mother's brother and her uncle. But you may call me Uncle Kenji if you so wish."

"Thank you, Kenji-san," Leo replied courteously.

"You must be Leonardo," Uncle Kenji said, smiling. Leo looked shocked.

"How did you know that?" he questioned.

"Yoshi has told me very much about you," he chuckled. "Very much indeed. And these are your brothers?"

"Yes. Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo," Leo introduced, pointing to the other three in that order.

"You will all be honored guests in our home anytime you wish," Kenji told them kindly. "There will much to discuss in the days ahead, but for now, I am glad to have met you all. Now, my reptilian friends, can you ensure that my young niece gets to bed? I know this is the weekend, but she must rest."

"Consider it done, Uncle Kenji!" Mikey chirped, looking at Samantha with a playfully evil look. Uncle Kenji chuckled and then left the room, closing the door behind him. The second it shut, Mikey leapt at Samantha, who screamed and ran, hiding behind Leo.

"Leo! Help me!" she shrieked as Mikey tried to get her again. Leo laughed and stepped aside, allowing Mikey to grab the ninja princess and drag her towards her bed. Leo took the wakizashi from her back and placed it on a hook nearby. Uncle Kenji was right. After what'd happened today, Samantha needed some sleep.

"Let me go, Mikey!" she giggled as the goofball turtle ripped back the covers and placed her on the mattress. He took the sheets and covered her up gently.

"Look, Sammy. We wanna keep seeing that pretty face of yours, so get some sleep!" Mikey told her, pinning down the edges of the blankets, trapping her underneath them. "The last thing we want is for you to start looking like Raph! OW!" Raph had smacked him the minute the words left his mouth.

"As long as I get to see you guys tomorrow, I'll sleep," she told them.

"Promise," Don told her kindly. "Now, get some rest. We'll see you in the morning, kiddo."

"You've never called me that before, Donny!" she whispered, snuggling under the covers. There was no answer, so he must've gone.

"First time fer everything, Princess," Raph told her quietly. "Now, go to sleep. Don't make me have to come back up here." Then, she opened her eyes and saw only Leo standing in her room. He crossed it, turned off the lights and then stood by her bedside.

"Care to tell me why that Purple Dragon was so afraid of you?" Leo asked her.

"'Cause I'm a kick-ass ninja!" Samantha joked.

"Samantha?"

"Yeah?"

"You know you suck at lying, right?"

"Hey! Quit stealing my lines, my Fearless leader! You're clever enough to come up with some of your own!"

"I'm **serious**, Samantha! What happened with your Amulet to make that guy looked like he was gonna die of fright right there?"

"I **can't** tell you, Leo! Not right now!"

"Then when? When we're fighting the Purple Dragons again and you suddenly go all weird and hurt someone…or worse, get hurt yourself? I can't stand to have secrets between us, Samantha!"

"I can't either, Leonardo! The last I'd want is for us to have secrets from each other! But I made a promise to keep my mouth shut about this Amulet until the time came!"

"You're right. I'm sorry for pushing you. It's just…you **really **had me worried today, Samantha. I saw his face and I was wondering what the shell was going on. And then I saw your Amulet glowing after you stumbled off him, and that's when I put two and two together. I wanna protect you, Samantha. I care about you a lot. If something ever happened to you, I…" He was cut off when she pressed a hand to his lips.

"I understand, Leo. And it's sweet of you to wanna protect me. But remember that I'm a highly skilled ninja. If I can kick **your **butt, I can kick anybody's!"

"Yeah. You could **never** beat me, Samantha."

"Oh really?" she challenged, sitting up in her bed. He smirked and leaned over her, trapping her in his arms.

"Really," he told her boldly.

"Fine! You. Me. Match tomorrow in the dojo here at my house. Winner takes the glory."

"You're on, my ninja princess!"

"That's a new one," Samantha chuckled as Leo blushed at calling her that pet name.

"Well, goodnight loser. I've gotta get some rest to defeat you tomorrow," she laughed, snuggling back down under the sheets. Leo smiled and headed for the balcony doors. He turned back and watched the girl under the covers, still and peaceful and angelic-looking in the dim moonlight that was pouring in from the open balcony doors.

""Goodnight. Goodnight. Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say goodnight 'til it be morrow,"" Leo whispered.

"_Romeo and Juliet. _Not bad," Samantha said, her eyes closed. "Very classic in fact. But come on, Leo! You're trying to use **Shakespeare** to seduce me?"

"Trust me, Samantha. I don't need to use Shakespeare to seduce **you**," Leo replied, smirking. Then, she knew he was gone. She turned over and moaned into her pillow. Damn, she hated it when he was right!

* * *

"What took ya so long?" Raph demanded as Leo climbed into the Battle Shell's front seat. "It was like you and da Princess were making out or…!" Raph stopped, and a huge grin came on his face as he turned to Leo. "You **were** making out with her! She a good kisser? Did you two just skip the small talk and go all the way? Or did ya take it slow cuz it's her first time?"

"Raph, you're disgusting!" Leo snapped in irritation.

"Well, did you at least kiss her goodnight?" Mikey teased. Don gripped the steering wheel as tightly as he could. Taking several, deep, silent breaths, he managed to remain calm.

"Look. I don't know how much clearer I can be. **Nothing happened**!" Leo told his brothers. Don detected the anger in his brother's voice and could sense that he was telling the truth. His muscles relaxed.

"You were in a bedroom with a hot girl and you're saying nothin' happened?" Raph asked incredulously. "Yer lying!"

"Raphael. For once, could your mind center on something not so…_sexual_?" Don inquired, starting the engine. Raph didn't answer and as Don drove them back into the city, he chanced a glance at his brother, who looked anxious and stressed. And as the turtle genius drove, he knew that while the girl he loved was sleeping well and undisturbed, neither he nor his eldest brother would be getting **any** sleep tonight.

**I know I have to make a decision soon as to who's gonna kiss her first. So far, by the reviews, both turtles are tied at 1. This is why reviews are essential! Support your turtle! Next chapter might be up today as well, though don't count on it! Anyways, review please and thank you!**


	12. Chapter 12

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

Samantha Bushido is not only the daughter of the founder of ninjutsu, but also possesses a powerful amulet that could destroy humanity. One of the Turtles has been ordained to protect her. But will her love for 2 turtles bring about the end of the world?

**First, a _huge_ thank you to all my reviewers. BubblyShell 22 (with your three reviews!), LeoLover95, White Fairy Writer and pokemonjkl! You guys are amazing! And for all those who added this story to their favorites and me to their author alerts and/or favorite author (BubblyShell 22 and LeoLover 95), thank you so much! Please continue to post reviews and tell your readers about this story! Also, I'm in the process of writing a horror spin-off of my princess and our green heroes called TMNT: Isle of the Dead (coming soon to Fan Fiction!) OK. Enough chit-chat. On with the story!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! I wish I did, but Eastman and Laird have that privilege! All O/C are mine though!

Chapter Twelve

Oroku Saki was not in a good mood. Not only had Baxter Stockman's Stocktronics lab been completely destroyed, but his entire operation had been foiled by four turtle-like creatures. To top it all off, Dragonface hadn't even been able to eliminate that pesky vigilante who'd been interfering in Saki's other dealings. According to his report, the same turtle-like creatures had aided the vigilante, and a girl had been with them. Saki's ears had immediately perked up when Dragonface had mentioned the "freaky necklace" she had been wearing around her neck.

"Did it look something like this?" he'd demanded, holding out a picture of the Amulet of Bushido to the battered thug. He responded with a jerky nod.

"Your worthless excuse of a brain didn't manage to catch a name, did it?" Saki inquired in a deceptively soothing voice.

"One…one of…them…_ things_…said "Samantha" when she turned into a…a…a freakin' monster!" Dragonface whimpered. Saki smiled evilly and then Dragonface was dismissed…permanently. As he heard the screams echo outside the doors of his inner sanctum, Saki now turned his thoughts to the girl. Samantha. Her last name must be Bushido as only the offspring would be able to control the creature that lay within the sapphire dragon. He needed to find her. But first, he would need another relic that would help him with his plans.

As he walked out, he came across the broken, bloody corpse of Dragonface. He continued on to his chambers. Saki ran a criminal organization. Mistakes were never tolerated, especially when he was so close to finally obtaining ultimate power and ultimate revenge.

* * *

Samantha awoke refreshed and energized. She was still in her battle suit, but she didn't mind. Suddenly, she heard the sound of drilling and banging. Sliding out of bed and approaching the door of her room, she was almost hit by the door flying open and Uncle Kenji walking in.

"Oh! Good! You're awake!" Uncle Kenji shouted as the noise of the hammering and drilling began again. "I need to talk to you, my cherry blossom!"

"OK!" Samantha yelled back. Uncle Kenji then shut the door and the two headed to the balcony. They sat down on her chair swing and Samantha looked at her uncle's serious face.

"What's wrong, Uncle Kenji?"

"Well, I went to the 35th anniversary celebration of M.D. Co. on Friday night and saw Marcus Danielson and his grandson, Marcus Danielson The Third." Samantha's face immediately dropped.

"Oh. So, what happened?"

"Well, Marcus and I got to talking, and I mentioned that my niece was living with me, and then, his grandson asked me if I'd brought you with me as he'd invited you personally and offered to be your escort. I told him that this was the first I'd heard of him personally inviting you, moreover him offering to be your escort. Care to explain why you failed to tell me this, my cherry blossom?"

"Uncle, I didn't tell you because 1) the Turtles needed my help with something much more important and 2) Marcus Danielson The Third is a cocky, self-centered rich kid who thinks he can get everything he wants!"

"Samantha! That's completely rude! He's a very charming, well-grounded young man from an excellent family! You should feel honored that he was willing to offer you his company for an evening!"

_Yeah right!_ Samantha thought to herself bitterly. _If I wasn't untouched, that guy wouldn't be coming within two miles of me, let alone offering me anything!_

"Well, he looked heartbroken. So, I offered to let him take you out next weekend, and he immediately perked up!"

"Uncle! I don't even like the guy and you're setting me up on a date with him? That's totally unfair!"

"It was also unfair of you not to tell me about him approaching you before you decided to take off with the Turtles!"

"But Uncle Kenji, I told them they could sleep over here next weekend! I had it all planned out!"

"Well, you're just going to have to cancel those plans, because you are going on a date with Marcus Danielson The Third, and that is final!"

"But Uncle...!"

"**No **"buts", Samantha Tiffany Bushido! You are going on this date! And you will be polite, charming, and represent your family with honor and dignity! Do not disgrace your father, your mother or me! Now, I need to go and speak with the foreman who's working on the dojo!"

"The dojo?"

"Yes. I called the team last night before I went to bed and told them I wanted to make improvements for our new reptilian friends! They should be done by next weekend!"

"Great! Leo and I were going to be sparring in that dojo today, Uncle Kenji!"

"I'm sorry, Samantha. But you need to tell me these things ahead of time! I'm not a mind reader."

"I know. I'm sorry. Hey! Since I don't have school on Fridays, could the Turtles sleep over until Saturday night?"

"Well, as long as you get your schoolwork done, then sure. It's fine with me. I'll tell Maria to get four guestrooms ready."

"Five, Uncle Kenji."

"Five? Is there a fifth turtle that somehow popped up without Yoshi's knowledge?"

"No, no. Their father, Master Splinter will probably be coming, too. He's a mutant rat."

"Ah. I see. OK. _Five_ guestrooms."

"I love you, Uncle Kenji!" Samantha exclaimed, hugging her uncle tightly.

"Is that so?" Uncle Kenji chuckled, hugging her back. "A minute ago, you looked ready to chop my head off for canceling your little sleepover. You know, you are so much like your mother!"

"Really?"

"Yes. She too had a habit of assuming that people could read minds and would go ahead and make plans without their knowledge. It got her into **so** much trouble when we were children!"

"Tell me about it! Please, Uncle Kenji?"

"Alright." And Samantha listened as he launched into the tale of one of her mother's misadventures.

* * *

Donatello was in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee when Mikey came in and headed for the cupboard to grab a bag of potato chips to eat while watching Saturday morning cartoons.

"Morning, Brainiac," Mikey greeted, reaching into the cupboard and pulling out a bag of Lays.

"Morning, Mikey," Donny said before yawning and then taking a long drink of his coffee.

"Tough night?" Mikey asked.

"Yeah. I…uh…couldn't figure out why those crystalline structures are shaped the way they are."

"Donny?"

"Yeah?"

"You know you suck at lying, right?"

"I…I…I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Save it, Einstein! Even though I'm not a genius, I'm still pretty smart. And it doesn't take a genius to figure out that you didn't get any sleep because you were worried about Sammy!"

"What're you talking about?" He took another sip of coffee. "Samantha's safe at home with her uncle! There's nothing to be worried about!"

"Look. I know, OK?"

"You know what?"

"I know that you like Sammy. And before you deny it," Mikey said, as Don opened his mouth to contradict him, "don't think I haven't noticed how you and Leo are always competing for her attention!"

"There's no competition, Mikey."

"Are you hearing a word that I'm saying? I've seen it! Quit denying it!"

"That's not what I mean!"

"Then what** do** you mean?"

"There's no competition because I've got no chance with her."

"What the shell makes you think **that**?"

"Mikey, Leo **always** get the girl, OK? That's just how it is. Girls like Samantha don't go for genius mutant turtles like me."

"What do you mean "girls like Samantha"?"

"Beautiful, intelligent, kick-ass fighting girls with amazing culinary skills and the personality of Princess Diana: sweet, caring, polite, and…you get the picture."

"So, why don't you ask her out?"

"Because **those** kind of girls always fall for leaders like Leo or tough guys like Raph!"

"Well, I know for a fact that she doesn't like Raph."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious!"

"Look. All I'm saying Donny is to quit putting yourself down. You've got as much of a chance of snagging her as Leo does. You're the coolest guy I know…other than me, of course." Don chuckled.

"Thanks for the confidence boost, Mikey. I appreciate it."

"No prob! That's what brothers are for! Now, I'm gonna kick back and watch some cartoons before I hit the trail later with my skateboard."

"Mind having some company?"

"The more the merrier! Hey! How about an extreme sports competition between the four of us and Samantha?"

"You're on!"

"And it'll be the perfect chance for you to impress her with some of your moves, Brainiac!"

"I never thought I'd say this, but Mikey: you're a **genius**!"

* * *

Samantha quickly pulled out her Shell-cell and dialed up Leo. She needed to inform him of the change in plans.

"Hello?" a groggy Leo answered.

"And here I was thinking you'd be up at the crack of dawn! Tsk! Tsk! You disappointed me, Leonardo!" Samantha teased, flopping onto her bed stomach first.

"And good morning to you too, Samantha."

"How'd you sleep?"

"If I'm still in bed on a Saturday morning, how do you think?"

"Yeesh! No need to be like that, my Fearless leader! I was just asking!"

"I'm sorry. When I don't get enough sleep, I turn into a tiger."

"A _fierce_ tiger?" Samantha asked playfully. **_Why _**_did I say **that**? _ Her cheeks turned red and she heard Leo chuckle on the other end of the phone.

"_Extremely_ fierce. King of the jungle."

"That's a _lion_, my Fearless leader. Anyways, there's a reason why I called."

"Good. So, let's hear it so that I can go back to sleep and not get anymore bags under my eyes."

"OK? We'll have to reschedule our little fight for another day."

"Giving up already, Samantha?"

"Not in a million years! Unless you don't mind construction workers staring at a three-fingered, six foot tall mutant ninja turtle with two katana swords fighting the niece of their employer?"

"I get the picture. Man! This sucks! I was really looking forward to kicking your shell all over the place!"

"I don't have a shell, Leo."

"Oh yeah. Right."

"Listen. I'll swing by the Lair in a bit when you're **not** so tired."

"Good plan."

"Now, get some sleep, Leonardo. I mean it."

"Thanks, Samantha. I will."

"Good. Because I've heard you look ugly as a zombie! And I don't like ugly!"

"Wow. You've been talking to Mikey, haven't you?"

"How'd you guess?"

"It's not rocket science. I'll see you later."

"Later, my Fearless leader." They hung up and as Leo burrowed back under the covers, he felt himself smile as he reminisced on her voice calling him **her** Fearless leader.

* * *

Don was just in the middle of studying one of the crystals again when his Shell-cell rang.

"Hello?" Don answered.

"What's up in the world of science, my turtle genius?" Samantha asked cheerfully. Don smiled at the sound of her voice.

"Hey, Sam! Just studying the crystals again. There's got to be a way to identify them."

"Well, if there's a way, you'll find it, my turtle genius. You **always** find a way."

"Thanks. That means a lot coming from you, Samantha."

"You should wear your heart on your sleeve more often, Donatello. It suits you."

"Well, technically, if I did that, I'd be dead almost instantly." Samantha laughed and Don heard himself sigh at the melodiousness of it. He'd never felt so enchanted by any girl until he'd met her.

"It's an expression, Don. I didn't mean it **literally**."

"OK. So, what time are you expecting us over today?"

"Actually, can I come over to the Lair? My uncle's upgrading the dojo for "our new reptilian friends", and the drilling and hammering is giving me a headache. Plus, there's… something I need to talk to you about."

"OK? Well, there's a manhole near your house on the small side street we were on last night. Go down there and I'll come get you."

"Thanks, Donatello. I'll see you in a bit." When she hung up the phone, Donatello couldn't help but wonder what exactly was troubling her.

* * *

Meanwhile, Saki's two, appointed leaders knelt at the feet of their master. With a nod, he dismissed them and they along with their squadron of Foot Ninja disappeared and headed for the museum, where the target of their mission was currently on display.

He smiled to himself as he studied the mangled remnants of the armor he'd found. Phase One of his plan was underway. Once he had the artifact, he'd be one step closer to destroying his enemies. And once he'd found Samantha Bushido and…_persuaded_ her to unlock the powers of the Amulet of Bushido, he'd be one step closer to world domination. And not even those strange turtle creatures would be able to stop the creature within the Amulet once it was under his command. **No one** would.

**Uh oh. Saki's implementing Phase One? What's his plan now that he knows Samantha's name? Next chapter is based on the episode "Darkness on the Edge of Town"...with a few twists. Stay tuned for more Not An Ordinary Girl! And as usual, reviews are crucial to feed my creativity! So, use that little button at the bottom, my loyal readers! Starting...now!**


	13. Chapter 13

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

Samantha Bushido is not only the daughter of the founder of ninjutsu, but also possesses a powerful amulet that could destroy humanity. One of the Turtles has been ordained to protect her. But will her love for 2 turtles bring about the end of the world?

**Shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers: BubblyShell22, pokemonjkl and White Fairy Writer! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so keep them coming! So...surprise! Late second update! Much more action! Enjoy!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! I wish I did, but Eastman and Laird have that privilege! All O/C are mine though!

Chapter Thirteen

Samantha was waiting on the curb of the sewer tunnel for Donatello. How would he react to her "date" with Marcus next weekend? How would Leo react? Would their feelings for her change? And that in itself was another problem. She needed to choose between the two of them. This constant flirting with both of them was starting to wear her out. Besides, she couldn't keep playing them like this, one against the other. Some girls would've found two guys fighting over her a complete turn-on, but to Samantha, it was another headache she didn't really need.

Just then, the Sewer Slider came into view and she was happy to see Don behind the wheel as usual.

"Hey Sam," Don greeted, hopping out and taking her hand to guide her to the other side. He helped her up and into the Sewer Slider. He then hurried over to the driver's side and hopped in before powering the Sewer Slider. He drove it down the tunnel before doing an impossible U-turn which caused sparks to fly from the doors of the vehicle and made Samantha grit her teeth and pray that she wouldn't be crushed.

"Sorry about that," Don apologized as they cruised down the tunnel. "There's no roundabout here, so I had to do a U-turn. You OK?"

"Fine. Just fine."

"OK, Sam. Spill it. What's going on?"

"Well…I kind of have a date next weekend." She saw his jaw clench and knew that this would upset him big time. Then, he smiled and even he knew that Samantha could tell it was forced.

"Congrats, Sam! Who's the lucky guy?"

"Marcus Danielson The Third."

"Say what?"

"Let me explain!"

"There's no explanation that could possibly rationalize such an irresponsible decision when compared to contradictory verbal evidence given by you!"

"Don. I may have a 176 IQ, but even **I'm** not **that** smart! So, in English please?"

"You lied to me, Sam! You told me you didn't even like the guy!"

"I don't!"

"Then why would you agree to go out with him?"

"I didn't!"

"Then why…?"

"Will you just let me explain?"

"OK. Go on. Explain."

"Well, this morning, Uncle Kenji found out that Marcus had invited me to his grandfather's company's 35th anniversary celebration; something which I'd failed to mention to him when I'd called him. So, apparently, Marcus was all upset and Uncle Kenji said that he could take me out next weekend to make up for it!"

"Wow. When Marcus Danielson The Third wants something, he'll manipulate the Hell out of anybody to get it. Wait! Aren't we supposed to be sleeping over at your place next weekend?"

"Tell me about it! I had to bump it to Thursday since I **know** Marcus is planning to take me out Saturday night. Luckily, I don't have classes on Fridays, so I'm safe. Now, all we need is Master Splinter's permission and it'll be Party Central at the Kenji-Bushido Mansion from dusk 'til dawn!"

"Alright. Calm down, Miss Thing! Don't wear yourself out before you've even started to have fun!"

"Good advice. So, what's the plan for today, my turtle genius?"

"Well, we're having an extreme sports competition this afternoon. Wanna join in?"

"Sure. Extreme rollerblading is my thing!"

"Sounds like Raph's gonna have some competition in his department!" Samantha grinned evilly.

"Oh, I'm gonna enjoy **this**!"

* * *

"He is the alpha-dog! The thrashmeister! The undisputed god of the half-pipe!" Mikey crowed as he zoomed down the sewer tunnel on his skateboard.

"Who needs half-pipe bro?" Raph shouted, doing a fancy full circle of the sewer tunnel in his rollerblades. "We got full-pipe!"

Samantha, dressed in her rollerblading equipment and prized inline-rollerblades (which she'd changed into thanks to her Amulet) quickly skated close to Mikey's skateboard and then flipped over his head before doing two front flips and landed skating backwards.

"Beat **that**, alpha dog!" Samantha challenged as she turned and skated with increasing speed back to the Lair.

"Wow! She's good!" Mikey breathed to his brothers. Leo was on his scooter and Don was on his bike, but both of them nodded in agreement.

"Is there **anything** dat girl can't do?" Raph asked his brothers, a little cross since Samantha had ventured onto his "turf".

"C'mon slow pokes!" she laughed as the entrance to the Lair drew closer. These weren't the main doors, but a small side passage that led into the sewers as well. She gave a laugh of delight as she zoomed into the Lair with the others close behind .

"Going for altitude!" Don yelled, his bike soaring high into the air in the Lair.

"Going for grinditude!" Leo shouted, grinding his scooter down the metal railing nearby. Just then, Master Splinter appeared, carrying biscuits and a cup of tea on a tray.

"Excuse me, Sensei!" Leo apologized.

"Heads up Sensei! I mean, down!" Don shouted.

"Hey Sensei!" Samantha greeted as she skated by.

"Nice recovery Sensei!" Raph complimented as Splinter quickly dodged his second-eldest son like lightning.

"Thanks Sensei!" Mikey said, taking one of the biscuits.

"Extreme green!" the four Turtles cheered. Just as Splinter flicked the remote control, everything went dark and the five friends crashed into each other.

"Nice wiring job, Don!" Mikey scolded.

"I guarantee it's not my wiring! Maybe it's a blackout!" Don answered.

"Maybe. Now, you wanna get your foot off my shell?" Mikey complained as Master Splinter lit a candle. Samantha rolled off of Donatello, her cheeks red. He blushed as well.

"Keep that flame away from Mikey!" Leo warned Sensei. "He scarfed down a whole chili pizza for dinner!"

"Clearly, there is a power failure. I suggest you investigate and see if it can be fixed," Splinter instructed.

"We're all over it!" Mikey replied, kicking up his skateboard and catching. Holding her Amulet up, Samantha was changed into her battle suit and had her wakizashi strapped to her back. Leo and Don packed up their stuff while Raph flicked a switch that changed his skates into shoes.

"And hurry up! I do not wish to miss my favorite program!" Splinter called after them as they headed to the surface.

* * *

Standing on the rooftop of a building, the five friends surveyed the blackened side of town near the waterfront.

"Ya know, I don't think Splinter meant we should investigate **this** far," Leo told them, looking down at the city.

"Ya can never be too thorough, bro. Especially when it comes to topside time!" Raph reminded him.

"This whole side of town is dark," Don observed. "A substation must've gone out."

"This isn't right. Shouldn't there be some emergency lights or something?" Leo inquired.

"Yeah. Leo's right. All the major cities usually have either those or backup generators in case of power failures," Samantha added. "And New York City should **definitely **have some given the population size and high energy consumption rates across the five boroughs."

"It's totally dark down there," Raph commented. Then, Don, Mikey, Raph, Sam and Leo smiled at each other.

"Which means there's only one thing for us to do," Mikey said, grinning. A couple of minutes later, the four turtles were riding around and doing tricks before Leo came to a halt.

"Guys. Do you really think we should be doing this? What if somebody sees us?" Leo asked.

"That's the beauty of it, Leo! Nobody **can** see us! It's pitch black!" Raph crowed as he and Mikey stopped next to their leader. Samantha leapt down from her post on the lamppost and stood beside Mikey.

"Get with the program, bro! It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to session some serious surface terrain!" Mikey added. Just then, Don slid to a halt on his bike.

"Hey guys. Check this out!" he whispered. Across the street was a museum of ancient Eastern weaponry and other relics. Scaling the wall were two of the black-clothed ninjas they'd fought before. Samantha's blood boiled at the sight of the red symbol on their chests and shoulders. The five quickly ducked out of sight.

"Not **these** guys again!" Samantha hissed through gritted teeth.

"Didn't we fight these clowns once before?" Mikey asked.

"Yeah. And we nearly got waxed," Don replied. Samantha was about to give a pointed cough when she remembered the shurikens the ninjas had thrown at her that she hadn't even seen.

"Who's up for some payback?" Raph inquired, standing and twirling a sai in his hand in that lethal fashion that meant he was seriously ready to kick some shell.

"I like the way you think, Hothead," Samantha chuckled as she stroked the handle of her wakizashi. They quickly scampered into the building and found the two ninjas cutting into the glass case of an ancient sword. One of them put on a metal glove and was reaching into the case. Leo quickly threw a shuriken at the case, which caught their attention.

"Gift shop's on the first floor, boys," Leo informed them, smirking. "But they don't take kindly to shoplifters. And neither do **we**!"

"You gotta love those action movie lines!" Samantha whispered to Mikey, who grinned and nodded. One ninja took out a katana while the other reached for the sword again. Raph threw a shuriken at them this time.

"Now, before ya try and make off with da goods, ya might wanna consider a few things!" he told them. "One: you're outnumbered. Two: don't let the pretty faces fool ya. We're tougher than we look!" Suddenly, they were surrounded as more of the ninjas leapt down from the open skylights.

"And three: we're about to get our butts **seriously** hammered!" Mikey squeaked.

"Not this ninja!" Samantha declared, whipping out her wakizashi. She immediately started slicing through ninjas left and right. Using a lethal front snap kick, she saw Leo was in serious trouble.

"A little help here!" Leo called out.

"We're on it!" the four others called out. However, the ninjas quickly leapt out of the way as everybody collided and landed in a heap on the floor.

"I sense a teamwork training session in our future!" Mikey groaned.

"Remind me never to knock heads with you guys again!" Samantha moaned as Leo helped her up. "You guys have **very** hard skulls!"

"Double time! They're getting away!" Leo ordered. One of the ninjas with a strange metal glove grabbed the sword from the case. The five friends quickly surrounded him.

"Just put the sword back, Sparky, and we'll call it a draw!" Raph commanded. The ninja backed up a bit before raising the sword. Samantha gasped as she recognized that energy and the sword, but before she could do anything, she was flying back against the wall with the Turtles.

"We have what we came for!" the ninja holding the sword said to his partner. Then, he approached the defeated warriors and raised Sam's head with his finger. "We'll be back for you soon, princess," he told her before back flipping several times and catching a rope, which he climbed up quickly.

"How about best two out of three?" Mikey suggested.

"What **was** that sword?" Don inquired as they clambered to their feet.

"Hold that thought! We've gotta book!" Leo told everyone as the sounds of police sirens could be heard.

"Time to employ our famous ninjitsu skills of stealth and secrecy, boys!" Samantha said before they all became like the shadows and headed back to the Lair.

* * *

"What does the symbol mean Sensei?" Mikey inquired, handing him a piece of the black cloth with the red insignia he'd gotten from one of the ninjas. Sensei quickly glanced at Samantha who looked grim.

"Trouble," Master Splinter replied seriously.

"Ya know something about these ninjas? Where do they come from? Who do they work for?" Raph inquired.

"And what do they want with a magic sword?" Mikey added.

"Nope. Not magic," Don countered. "More like a self-generating shockwave frequency generator." Only Samantha seemed to understand his words.

"Um…in English, Einstein?" Mikey prodded.

"It packs a shockwave that knocks you flat on your shell," Don simplified.

"We've gotta go after these creeps!" Raph declared, drawing his sais.

"No!" Master Splinter forbade. "A wise ninja does not seek out an enemy he does not fully understand."

"But, Sensei. Bushido demands that we fight for honor and justice and…" Leo began.

"Bushido also demands that you honor your master's wishes!" Master Splinter interrupted fiercely. "I will meditate on this matter further. Samantha, I wish to speak with you privately."

"OK?" Samantha replied, following Master Splinter into his small chamber. She knelt on the mat across a small table from Master Splinter.

"You are troubled, my child," Master Splinter said in his calm, low voice. "What bothers you?"

"Master Splinter. During the fight, one of the ninjas approached me and said, "We'll be back for you soon, princess." He knows I'm here. He knows the Amulet is here. I can only hope he doesn't know who I am."

"And you are afraid, Princess Bushido-san?"

"Yes. Not only for me, Sensei, but for your sons; especially Leonardo. He will have the most difficult path of the four of them."

"Yes. I have seen the Prophecy Scroll, but only the journey is written and not the destination. I have always known that my eldest son was destined to become a great ninja, but never did I guess that the Heads would choose him as the Protector of the Amulet of Bushido and its Guardian." There was a strange, almost hard tone to his voice.

"You aren't fond of the Heads, are you, Sensei?"

"We have had our…_disagreements_ in the past. But they were wise to choose my son to protect you, Princess Bushido-san. Indeed, he seems to be quite taken with you. As all my sons are."

"Sensei. I don't want to put your family in danger from this. They'll be coming after me. I know it. You know it. They know it. But your sons don't, and I can't ask them to put themselves in danger for my sake."

"You do not have to ask my sons to do this, Princess Bushido-san. They will do it because they have grown to love you. We have all grown to love you, Princess Samantha Tiffany Bushido."

"Thank you, Sensei," she said, bowing, trying not to let the tears flow down her cheeks. Master Splinter smiled and patted her cheek with his furry paw.

"It is in the darkest hours of our lives where our families either fade into the darkness or shine brighter than the Sun. You will see nothing but light in this coming darkness, my daughter. I feel it in my heart. Now, return to the others and keep my sons out of trouble."

* * *

Saki had just finished training with his warriors when Hun, the leader of the Purple Dragons street gang, walked in, holding the sword in his hands.

"At long last! The Sword of Tengu! Still as magnificent after all these years!" Saki breathed as he held the sword in his hands. He directed it at the mangled armor in the glass case.

"And still able to detect artifacts that share its unique qualities!" Saki added. "This is the sword which will bring my enemies to their knees, which will help me find Samantha Bushido and her Amulet! Hun! Take the sword to Foot Techs! Tell them: proceed to Phase Two!" Hun bowed and left the room with the sword. Soon, after he'd found what he was looking for, he would turn his attention to the Bushido girl and the Amulet. And if all went according to plan, the world would soon be bowing at his feet.

* * *

Samantha slid silently out of Master Splinter's chambers and flopped down on the couch close to Mikey.

"What's up with the big cheese?" Mikey wondered aloud, reading a comic book and eating potato chips on the couch.

"It's that ninja symbol," Leo replied while doing a kata. "It's got Sensei all weirded out."

"Enough of dis waiting around!" Raph shouted. "I say we go topside, kick ninja butt, take ninja names, and find out the whole ninja story for ourselves!" With a final kick, the head of his practice dummy soared across the Lair and landed in Mikey's bag of chips.

"Whoa! Remind me not to get on your bad side, dude!" Mikey breathed.

"Too late!" Raph and Samantha said at the same time.

"Great minds think alike, huh Princess?" Raph smirked.

"For once, I agree with you Hothead," Samantha replied, smiling back.

"Hang on, Raph! No one's going anywhere!" Leo told him firmly, leaping in front of Raph and blocking his path.

"Guys! Check this out!" Don called. The four rushed over to his computer and crowded around. "I hacked into the power company's computer system. Looks like there's another blackout down by the South City seaport."

"I smell a rat. And I don't mean Splinter," Raph commented, turning and hurrying towards the door with Don, Mikey and Sam.

"Hang on guys. Splinter told us…"

"Not to go after da ninjas. He didn't say anything about not investigating power failures," Raph interrupted.

"Ya gotta love loopholes!" Samantha exclaimed, giving Raph a high-three.

"Excellent! I have a few new surveillance toys I wanna test!" Don crowed, patting his "bag of tricks" as Mikey and the others had taken to calling the brown duffel bag Don was rarely without.

"Wait up! It's tough being the leader!" Leo muttered to himself, running after the others.

* * *

The South City Seaport was in utter darkness when Samantha and the others reached the bridge.

"Total blackout. Just like last night," Raph observed.

"But this time, I came prepared," Don replied, digging through his bag and pulling out a pair of strange-looking goggles.

"Awesome!" Mikey crowed, snatching the goggles from Don and trying them on. "Total Turtle-Vision!" Don snatched them back.

"Night-vision actually," he corrected, putting on the device.

"How do we survey such a large area?" Leo inquired.

"I came prepared for that, too," Don answered before pulling a small rope. A hang glider popped out over his shell in purple. Samantha should've guessed.

"I've been dying to try this puppy out!"

"You haven't tested it yet?" demanded Leo and Sam at the same time. They looked at each other and then turned away, trying hard not to blush.

"Dude! How's he supposed to test a flying machine in the sewers?" Mikey admonished.

"Mikey's right. Whoa! Did I just say that?" Samantha asked.

"We'll stay in touch via Shell-cell. Don't worry, guys. I've worked out all the theoretical aerodynamics."

"And what about the practical ones?" Samantha shouted, but Don was already running towards the end of the small platform atop the bridge.

"Don't worry, Sam! It's practically foolproof!" Don shouted as he soared towards the water.

"Yeah! But is it Don-proof?" Raph asked.

"Don? Don?" Leo yelled into his Shell-cell.

"I'm OK. Just forgot to compensate for the wind drag on my Bo staff," Don replied through the Shell-cell.

"You should've thought of the practical aerodynamics before you jumped off a bridge, Donny!" Sam scolded. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Take it easy, Samantha," Leo said, patting her shoulder. "He'll be fine."

"Guys! I'm picking up something strange on the river!"

"What is it?" Leo asked.

"It looks like they're searching the water for something."

"Who's searching?"

"It's our ninja buddies again. And they've got that sword they stole rigged up to some sort of vibrational cannon. I'm over Pier 16."

"We're on our way!" Leo replied as the four of them hurried across the cables of the bridge.

"I'm going in for a closer-WHOA!"

"Don? What is it?" Leo shouted into the phone.

"Mayday! Mayday! I'm going down!"

"Donny, no!" Samantha screamed.

"Don? Can you hear me? Say something bud!" Leo said. Sam gritted her teeth as they waited for an answer.

"Man, that water stinks! And this is from a turtle who lives in the sewers!"

"Yes!" the others cheered softly while Samantha merely pressed her hands to her lips as if she were praying and thanking God that Donatello was still alive. Sneaking across the piers, they quickly located the boat the cannon was on.

"We've got a visual on the cannon," Leo informed Don through the Shell-cell. "I only see two guys, but that just means the others are hiding." No sooner had the words left his mouth, the four found themselves surrounded by ninjas.

"I hate it when he's right!" Mikey whined.

"Then, let's kick some shell!" Samantha shouted, drawing out her wakizashi.

"Or better yet…" Leo said, looking at his brothers.

"LET'S TURTLELIZE 'EM!" they shouted, drawing their weapons and leaping onto the ship. Samantha quickly climbed the rigging and found herself on the mast with two ninjas at either ends. Quickly, she sheathed her wakizashi, ducked, grabbed onto the mast and did a split kick that sent them flying into the water. Smiling, she didn't notice the ninja flying in at her until she felt a foot kick her in the back and send her tumbling towards the ground.

"Gotcha!" a voice declared, grabbing Samantha mid-fall. She felt herself and her savior flip over before she looked up and saw that she was cradled in the arms of Leo, her arms around his neck. He was holding onto a rope but let it go.

"You OK?" he asked. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"My hero!" she giggled as the ninja turtle blushed and set her down on her feet. Then, they both leapt down and joined the others in taking out the last few ninjas.

"Nice save on yer girlfriend there, Splinter Junior," Raph chuckled. "I give ya points for style."

"And I give you points on originality!" Mikey whispered. "That was some **serious** superhero swag, bro!"

"I think this teamwork effort gets a most improved," Leo commented, smiling.

"School's not out yet!" Don reminded them as the noise of a helicopter could be heard. It was black and red with the red insignia on it. "That's one cool shell of a chopper!"

"What's up with Barnacle Bill?" Mikey asked as they saw a seaweed-covered, mangled suit of armor pulled from inside the swirling vortex of water and into the chopper.

"Whatever it is, it can't be good!" Raph answered as the chopper flew away with its cargo.

"Let's make sure they don't leave with that sword!" Samantha suggested. The others nodded and the five headed towards the cannon.

"Now, boys. There's a matter of some stolen property we need to discuss," Leo said, popping his head above the pier. The scientists, startled at the sight of him, began running, but were blocked by Don.

"Dudes. You **really** shouldn't be playing with such dangerous toys," he told them, smirking. They tried again, but Raph blocked their way, then Mikey and finally Samantha. Suddenly, one of them pulled out a laser device and pointed it at Samantha who ducked just in time as Leo kicked him. He fell backwards, the laser tumbling out of his hands and slicing into the controls of the vibrational cannon. The entire pier began to shake as the cannon whirred out of control.

"They're getting away!" Raph yelled as the scientists jumped into an awaiting helicopter.

"I think we've got bigger problems!" Don replied as the cannon stopped and was pointed at the docks.

"It's headed for the city!" Samantha shouted.

"Talk about bad vibes!" Mikey joked.

"Not funny, Mikey!" Raph chided.

"Don, can you shut it down?" Leo inquired.

"Well, I might be able to disconnect the sword from the accelerator, but crossing the terminator might result in a feedback…"

"Donny, whatever! Meanwhile, let's point this thing away from civilization!" Leo commanded. The four began to shove the cannon, but it wouldn't budge. Then, they heard the incoming blades of a chopper.

"Donny! We've got 5-0 coming in fast!" Samantha yelled.

"Hurry up, Don! Before the four of us end up on America's Most Wanted Reptiles!" Raph yelled as the wires sparked and the cannon started spinning crazily, knocking the techno turtle off. Noticing a crowbar nearby, Leo quickly jammed it in to stop the wild whirring.

"Thank God!" Samantha breathed as Don reached for the sword, but instead got a nasty shock. Literally.

"Here! Try this!" Leo suggested, throwing him the metal glove they'd seen the two ninjas with the night at the museum. Don pulled out the sword, but the whole pier began to shake as the power died.

"Let's get out of here!" Don yelled as the five ran from the area, watching as the cannon smashed into the water and caused a small explosion.

"Whoa! Awesome light show!" Mikey breathed.

"And speaking of light shows," Leo said, noticing the police helicopter coming closer.

"Let's not be a part of this one," Samantha told them as they disappeared into the shadows and headed for home.

* * *

"The design is unmistakably 11th century Japanese," Master Splinter concluded, holding the sword with the protective glove. "But the metal is unlike anything I have ever seen. Clearly, there is more to this sword than meets the eye." The elderly rat placed the sword on a stand and removed the glove from his hand. "Best that it remains out of the wrong hands."

"That includes yours, Mikey!" Samantha told the fun-loving turtle bluntly.

"Aw man! C'mon! I'm not **that** bad, am I?" Mikey complained.

"Do you want an honest answer to that, my dear brother Michelangelo?" Donatello chuckled as the others and Sam snickered.

"C'mon, Samantha," Leo chuckled. "We'll drive you home."

"That's OK. You guys must be exhausted," Sam replied. "I'll just use my Amulet."

"We insist," Leo answered, putting a hand on her arm. "You're exhausted, too. Probably more so than us."

"Seriously, though. Let us drive you. It's no problem. Right guys?" Don seconded.

"Nah. It's cool with me, Princess," Raph replied.

"No problem, dudette!" Mikey added.

"You guys are seriously sweethearts, do you know that?" Samantha told them. Leo smiled as he and the others walked Samantha to the elevator which would take them to the Battle Shell's garage.

"Trust me when I say this, Samantha: you haven't seen **anything** yet!" Leo told her bluntly. _Oh boy! _She thought to herself. _If they're any more gentlemen-like than this, it's going to be World War III in the Lair for months! And guess what the territory they'd be fighting over would be? Yours truly! Great! Sometimes, life's a real bitch!_

**So, Leo makes a huge save which scores him some extra points with Sam (though she doesn't say it). To all you Don fans, spoiler: your turtle comes up big in chapter fourteen, so stay tuned for that! And Saki's gonna be pissed when he finds out his boys lost the sword. But does he have another way of finding Samantha? Tune in for the next chapter! OK. Time for me to go to bed. Goodnight. And reviews please...now!**_  
_


	14. Chapter 14

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

Samantha Bushido is not only the daughter of the founder of ninjutsu, but also possesses a powerful amulet that could destroy humanity. One of the Turtles has been ordained to protect her. But will her love for 2 turtles bring about the end of the world?

**Shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers: BubblyShell22, pokemonjkl and White Fairy Writer! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so keep them coming! Also, to all those who are reading the story but haven't gotten the chance to post reviews, thank you for taking the time to read this little figment of my imagination! OK. So, soon I'm gonna be doing a poll to see who all you beautiful readers out there think Samantha should be with because I've heard a few responses, but I'm still divided. OK. More info on that later. For now, on with the story!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!  
**

Chapter Fourteen

Saki was enraged. He had retrieved proof of his enemies' existence on Earth, but he'd lost the Sword of Tengu to those accursed reptiles and the Bushido brat! Hun and Dr. Stockman, who was missing an eye, stood before their master, anxious and unsure of what to make of the four creatures in the photo that Saki possessed, not wishing to agitate their Master further.

"Gecko warriors!" Hun sniffed. "Karate frog freaks!"

"Hardly!" Dr. Stockman contradicted, snatching the photo away and studying it. "More like some top secret government experiment!" Finally, Saki lost it and swatted the photo out of Stockman's hands.

"I don't want theories! I want answers!" Saki roared, turning away from them. "These creatures have been a thorn in my side for far too long!"

"Perhaps they're working for your enemies," Hun suggested.

"Then we must see what they know," Saki concluded. "Find a way to have a little "chat" with our reptilian nemeses." Hun and Stockman both bowed and left their master to his own thoughts.

"Luckily, **I **am not dependant on incompetents to fulfill my plans," Saki muttered under his breath. He sat down on the mat in front of his monitor and quickly established a connection to the office of his friend and ally in business.

"Oroku. This is a surprise," a grey-haired, Caucasian man greeted from a leather armchair.

"Likewise, old friend," Saki said, smiling. "There is something I must ask you."

* * *

Samantha and Olivia were walking out of Montaigne Humanities Building after the end of another psychology lecture. Before starting, Professor Ruffington had announced that there would be a test next week on the two chapters they'd read so far. The two chapters assigned for next week wouldn't be on the test. But according to some of his former students, Ruffington had a nasty habit of lying about the content on tests, so Samantha was going to read and take notes on the next two chapters and then have Don test her on the definitions and main concepts for all four.

"So, wanna get together on Friday and study for this test?" Olivia asked Samantha as they walked towards Jackman Residence where Olivia lived. Samantha hesitated. Yes, she had told Olivia about the guys (partially), but if she told them that the guys were sleeping over at her house for the weekend, Olivia would insist on meeting them. And as much as Olivia was a good friend, she knew that Leo and Raph wouldn't be too pleased at having another human knowing about their existence. Plus, Olivia was a bit of a flirt, and if she started hitting on either Don or Leo, Sam secretly knew she would lose her cool.

"I'm busy on Friday. Wanna get together on Thursday instead?" Samantha replied.

"I've got an evening class, but I can totally study in the afternoon," Olivia answered.

"Great! So, we'll meet…!"

"Hello, Olivia," greeted a familiar voice. Both girls turned and saw Marcus Danielson The Third standing on the steps of Jackman. He was wearing a black, leather jacket and machine-torn jeans with a black shirt and a gold chain around his neck. His eyes then fell on Samantha and his smile widened. "And if it isn't the lovely Samantha! I suppose your uncle told you of his…_offer_ regarding **us**?"

"Firstly, there is no "us", Marcus," Samantha responded, crossing her arms over her chest. "Secondly, if you're referring to how you manipulated him into forcing me to go on a date with you, then yes, he told me."

"Come on, Sam. I'm really not a bad guy. I just want to show you that."

"Yeah. Right. And your little reputation?"

"People talk."

"Good thing, too."

"Well, listen. I'll swing by your place Saturday night at around 7 to take you to dinner," Marcus informed her, walking down the steps towards them. "And by the way, sweetheart," he whispered in her ear. "Wear something that'll make the other guys jealous." With that, he smirked and walked off, whistling happily.

"Man! I do **not **like that guy!" Samantha complained.

"So he **actually** got your uncle to set you two up on a date?" Olivia inquired, looking shocked at both Marcus's cleverness and the fact that Sam hadn't told her about the date.

"Yeah. As if I didn't have enough guy problems already."

"WHAT? That's it! We're going to my room, and you are telling me what's going on!" Olivia declared, seizing Samantha's hand and dragging her up the steps and into the residence building. Hustling up four flights of stairs, Olivia stopped on the fourth floor and pulled her through another door, down a dimly-lit hallway and finally halted in front of room 423. Digging out a key, Olivia unlocked the door and hurried inside with Samantha, slamming the door shut behind them.

"Come, come, come!" Olivia cooed, dragging Samantha over to the couch near the window. "Sit, sit, sit!" Once the two girls were seated, Olivia said, "Now. Tell Olivia **everything** that's happening with you in the world of guys, Sam. **Everything.**"

"Alright. So, you know those four guys I told you about?"

"Louis, Ralph, David and Mike?"

"You remember their names?"

"I have an elephant's memory."

"OK. So, I've been hanging out with them for a few months now, and…I'm pretty sure that Louis and David like me."

"And Ralph and Mike hate you?"

"No. We're all friends. I mean, they **like** me."

"Oh! **Two **guys? Wow, Samantha! I did not know you had that kind of game, girl!"

"Yeah. Well, unfortunately, I think my "game" needs to end and fast! I can't keep playing them like this! It's not right!"

"OK. So, who do you like more?"

"I don't know. Louis is…something else. He's sweet, brave, cute, serious and really protective of me. He listens when I talk to him, he's funny, a great fighter, he's kinda the leader of the four of them and he even saved me when I fell off…my balcony. Stupid me, I was stargazing and went over, but he caught me. It's like, with him, I feel so safe and protected. He's like my guardian angel."

"Wow! Sounds like a great catch! And David?"

"David is the most intelligent and sweetest guy I've ever known. Not only is he a genius, he's caring, he listens to me too, he's cute, he can fight, and I feel so at ease with him. It's like, I can tell him anything, and I know he won't judge me. 'Liv, I'm in love with both of them, and it's killing me to have to choose between them!"

"Well, you obviously can't keep playing them one against the other."

"I know! But if I choose one and not the other, I'll be breaking someone's heart. And I know I won't come out unscathed either."

"It's a tough call to make, girlfriend. But, you also need to consider which one of them fits into your future better."

"My future?"

"Yeah. Think about your destiny and see which one of them is better suited to weather it out with you. And let them both know that it doesn't mean that just because you choose one that the other matters less to you."

"Thanks, 'Liv," Sam told her best friend, hugging her. "Now, I've got to get going."

"Lemme guess. Hanging out with the guys?"

"Yeah," Sam confessed, smiling.

"Well, all I can say is: have fun!"

* * *

"Tonight, my students, our training will focus on two essential disciplines. The way of balance…" Master Splinter clapped his paws and the lights in the Lair went off, "and the way of invisibility." All four turtles and Samantha were balancing on bamboo poles that were high in the air.

"Dude! You put in a clapper?" Mikey inquired of Don, sounding excited. Just then, Master Splinter's walking stick made a loud crack against Mikey's head.

"Michelangelo! The way of invisibility also includes the way of silence!" the elderly rat scolded. "I suggest that you employ both if you wish to avoid my walking stick!" With that, Sensei began coming at them. Samantha sensed his presence on her right and immediately leapt out of the way and landed perfectly balanced on another bamboo pole a few feet away. Suddenly, there was a clap and the Lair was filled with light.

"Peek-A-Boo! I see you!" Mikey chuckled before Master Splinter sent him sprawling with a hit from his walking stick. "Hey!" he complained. "Don't I at least get points for creativity?"

"A creative mind must be balanced with a disciplined body," Master Splinter reminded them. "We must learn stillness and alertness." He clapped again and the lights went off. "For they are the only defense against the…" He was cut off by the opening elevator and someone saying, "Hey guys!" before the person hit the bamboo poles. Thanks to an unfortunate thing called the domino effect, Samantha, the Turtles and Master Splinter all tumbled from the poles and onto the floor. Sam sat up, groaned and saw Sensei leap onto a familiar, dark-haired man wearing blue, track pants and a red shirt. Casey Jones.

"Sensei, wait!" she shouted, leaping to her feet and rushing towards the rat with the others behind her.

"Master Splinter, no!" Leo yelled. He quickly clapped and the lights came back on. "He's OK!"

"Sensei, this is Casey! The nutca-! Uh…The _guy_ we told you about!" Don informed their father.

"You remember? The igilantevay?" Mikey reminded him.

"We figured it'd be OK to give 'im access to da Lair. Ya know, fer emergencies and stuff," Raph told him as Splinter got off of their friend.

"Please, forgive my rash action," Splinter told him somberly as Leo and Don helped Casey to his feet.

"No problem," Casey answered.

"Though next time, you would be wise to heed the ancient Japanese proverb," Splinter intoned firmly, pointing his walking stick at Casey. "Phone first!"

"Whoa, Raph! Yer crib's even more rad than ya said it was!" Casey breathed, gazing around and kicking a bamboo pole away from Splinter. Samantha sighed silently and bent down, picked up the pole and handed it to Sensei, who gave her a small smile as thanks.

"Ya didn't come all the way down here for the tour. What's the 4-1-1 street side?" Raph inquired.

"Graffiti. It's everywhere. All over town," Casey informed them.

"Are you serious?" Samantha asked, annoyed.

"Er…I think I speak for everyone when I say…duh!" Mikey replied.

"We're New Yorkers, Casey. We've seen graffiti before," Don reminded him.

"Ah-ah. Not _this_ kind," he answered, holding up a picture of four turtles and a human head with long hair skewered on a sword. "I think somebody's trying to send you a message."

"Good Lord!" Samantha gasped, covering her mouth with both hands. Everyone else looked extremely uncomfortable.

"Man! Talk about getting the point!" Mikey said, grimacing.

"Do all the tags look like this?" Leo questioned.

"Some are a little more graphic. Hey. Cool sword. Looks just like the one in the graffiti!" Casey reached out to touch it.

"Casey, no!" Don warned, but Casey went flying backwards as the sword's powers activated. "Remind me whose idea it was to invite him down here?" Don inquired as Casey slammed into a bookshelf.

"I thank you for this information, Mr. Jones," Master Splinter said, helping Casey up and guiding him towards the elevator. "But we must now return to our training."

"Wait! Don't you guys wanna put the smack-down on the scum who did this?" Casey inquired, getting riled up.

"Well…yeah. But it smells way too much like a setup," Mikey answered.

"Mikey's got a point," Sam added. "This is sounding _way_ too much like a trap."

"Someone's just trying to get under our shells. Why should we stoop to their level?" Don seconded, standing beside Samantha.

"But this is a matter of honor! What about all that Bushi-doo-doo stuff you guys are always talkin' about?" Casey countered, taking out a bat.

"Watch it, Jones!" Samantha snarled. "That's my family's name you're throwing about!"

"That's _bushido._ Which has nothing to do with getting payback for a bunch of nasty wall doodles," Leo answered firmly.

"Bushido's about honor, respect, truth and justice, Casey. **_Not_** revenge," Samantha told him boldly.

"Sorry, Case. But I gotta go with my bros and da Princess on this one," Raph said.

"That's not all. They're also arguing who gets their turn with da Princess after "The Big Guy" is done with her," Casey added.

"WHAT?" Samantha screeched.

"Where'd you hear that?" Leo snapped defensively.

"A bunch o' Purple Dragons were talking about it," Casey replied. "They went into some pretty graphic detail about what they were gonna do to her and how."

"Oh my God," Samantha breathed, burying her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry, Samantha," Casey apologized, trying to touch her, but she flinched back from him. "It's just what I heard and I…I didn't know you'd be so upset."

"It's…it's fine," she stammered out. "I'll be in the dojo if you guys are looking for me later." With that, she took off running for the dojo.

* * *

_Kick! Slice! Jump! Slice! Kick! Slice! Jump! Slice!_ Samantha repeated the movements over and over with her wakizashi. It was the only way to get those stupid Purple Dragons out of her head.

"You'll wear yourself out if you're not careful," a voice cautioned. She whipped around and saw Donatello standing nearby. She sheathed her wakizashi and folded her arms across her chest.

"At least then I won't have to worry about a bunch of street punks wanting to _rape _me!" she snapped pointedly, causing Don's face to go red with embarrassment. He shook his head and then walked over to stand beside her.

"Samantha. Look at me," Don told her. She looked up into his eyes. "Now, I know what Casey told you has rattled you a bit. At least that shows you're being rational. But you seem to have forgotten that you're a kick-ass ninja princess who's also the daughter of the founder of the code of ninjitsu! Add in the fact that you've got four, shell-kicking ninja turtle bodyguards, and those Purple Dragons will turn into Purple Chickens if we ever run across 'em!"

She giggled. Don smiled, pleased to see that he'd been able to cheer her up. "Thanks, Don," Sam told him gratefully.

"No problem. Now, Raph took Casey topside to blow off some steam. You wanna get back to some training?"

"Sure. Besides, I need to conserve my energy for when we kick these punks back to the Stone Age!"

"**That's **the spirit, my young tiger!" _Oh crud!_ Don thought to himself in panic. _Why'd I say that?_

"Your young tiger?" Sam repeated, a smile on her lips.

"You're as fierce as one," Don answered simply. "I would've said "Bengal tiger" or something, but it sounded too corny."

"You guys and your pickup lines! How many more of those do you have?"

"Why? Are they working?" Don hadn't meant for his voice to take the seductive tone that it did. He was both shocked and pleased to see Samantha smile even wider and step closer to him.

"Maybe," she whispered. Don then pulled her into his arms, her hand s resting against his plastron. Sam felt her breathing get shallower as Don leaned his head towards hers, aiming for her lips. Sam felt dizzy. Just before Don could kiss the girl of his dreams, they were interrupted.

"Donny! Samantha! We're ready!" Leo called from across the Lair. Samantha immediately leapt back at the sound of his voice.

"We'd better get back," she said, turning on her heel and hurrying out of the dojo. Don silently cursed his brother for always having perfect timing…for him!

The two friends headed back and once again took their positions on the bamboo poles. After about a half hour, Samantha was feeling a lot more at ease.

"You OK, Samantha?" she heard Leo whisper to her. She hadn't even noticed he was beside her.

"Yeah. Training really helps clear your head," she replied.

"Why do you think I train so much?" he chuckled as both of them dodged another hit from Master Splinter.

"Because you wanna impress me?" Samantha replied jokingly. Leo blushed and thanked his lucky stars it was dark in the room and none of his brothers, Master Splinter, and especially Samantha, couldn't see it. Just then, they heard the elevator door open and someone once again crashed into the bamboo poles, sending the five to the ground.

"Man! What now?" Samantha groaned, rubbing her bruised arm. One of the Turtles clapped, and she gasped when she saw Casey lying there, battered and bruised. Master Splinter and Don immediately rushed to help him up.

"Casey! What happened?" Leo asked as he, Sam and Mikey came forward.

"Where is Raphael?" Master Splinter asked worriedly.

"Raph!" Casey grunted. "He's…he's…gone!"

**Dun dun dun! Raph has been kidnapped! And it looks like Leo better step up his game because his brother just came close to kissing Samantha! Ooo! The agony of not knowing who's gonna kiss her first! Don came close, but will Leo kiss her before his genius brother? You'll just have to read on to find out! Reviews are welcome as always. Starting...now!  
**


	15. Chapter 15

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

Samantha Bushido is not only the daughter of the founder of ninjutsu, but also possesses a powerful amulet that could destroy humanity. One of the Turtles has been ordained to protect her. But will her love for 2 turtles bring about the end of the world?

**Thank you so far to Extreme Dinosaur Fangirl for your review and adding this story to your favorites! So, a double dose of TMNT with your favorite ninja princess! Aren't you guys lucky! OK. Enough with the chit-chat. On with the story!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!  
**

Chapter Fifteen

"What do you mean he's gone?" Samantha yelled, staring down at the battered form of Casey Jones. Hothead was gone? Even though he sometimes got on her nerves, she still thought of him as a friend. And whoever attacked her friends was just asking for trouble.

"The…invisible ninjas took him," Casey grounded out. Mikey and Don exchanged looks.

"The "invisible ninjas", huh?" Mikey joked. "This story wouldn't happen to involve Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, would it?"

"Mikey, be serious!" Sam scolded.

"Samantha, this is Mikey we're talking about, remember?" Leo reminded her.

"Good point."

"I got proof!" Casey held out an orange-looking object which Don took and studied under a magnifying glass.

"Oh! Some sort of optical device!" he concluded. "Heavy duty."

"Raph's not answering his Shell-cell," Leo told them as his own phone continued ringing ceaselessly. Casey gave a caveman-like yell and began tossing furniture around the Lair.

"Dis is all **my** fault!"

"Don't worry. I installed tracking chips in all the Shell-cells," Don said, taking out the tracker. "Just in case. Interesting…not picking up a signal."

"Ah! We'll never find him!" Casey snarled, throwing a footstool against the wall.

"I may be able to calibrate the scanner to trace a comm. signal from your "invisible ninjas"," Don thought aloud. About thirty minutes later, Don said, "I'm getting a signal! It's Raph!"

"Woo-hoo!" Casey cheered, his hockey stick breaking Don's light.

"This guy's bad news even when there's good news!" Mikey moaned to Leo, Sam and Master Splinter.

"It's faint, but at least we've got a blip we can follow," Don told them. Just then, the device started beeping more and more rapidly. "Make that **several** blips."

"The "invisible ninjas'" signal?" Leo asked. Master Splinter put a hand on Leo's shoulder.

"Raphael may not even be aware that he is being followed," Master Splinter observed.

"Which means we've gotta find him before he brings in some **seriously **unwanted house guests!" Leo declared.

"We already got one of those," Mikey observed, looking pointedly at Casey.

"So, uh…how do we stop something that we can't see?" the vigilante inquired.

"Already got that one covered!" Don replied. He quickly handed out what looked like the night-vision goggles he'd invented. "Turtle Vision Heat Sensor Goggles! After all, an invisible body is still a warm body!" Samantha put on her goggles and then chanced a glance at Leo who was wearing his. They both nodded.

"Let's go!" he commanded.

"That's a good look for you!" Mikey chuckled. Samantha turned and almost laughed aloud at the sight of Casey's goggles over his hockey mask. They made him look like one of those freaky aliens you'd see in a movie like _Doom_.

* * *

"We're gonna have to split up," Leo said into his headset as the Sewer Slider cruised through the tunnels. "Mikey! You and Casey cover above ground! Me, Don and Samantha will cover below!"

"And guys, be careful," Samantha cautioned.

"Don't worry, Sammy!" Mikey replied. "We will."

"Found him," Don told them as the Sewer Slider came to a stop. Don and Leo hopped off and Leo held out a hand to Samantha.

"A gentleman through and through," she observed, smiling as she took his hand and climbed out of the Sewer Slider. They headed a few feet ahead and saw Raph come running in with about a dozen or so of the "invisible ninjas" surrounding him from behind.

"Um, Leo," Sam whispered. "I'm gonna need my hand back." Leo blushed and quickly let go of her hand. Don hid a grimace as all three pulled out their weapons.

"I spy with my Turtle Eye some goons that need a good bapping!" Don said. Samantha smiled as all three swept in for the attack. Raph looked up and was pleased for a moment, but then looked confused when he saw their weapons out.

"Watch out!" they all shouted, kicking the invisible ninjas straight to the ground.

"Uh…guys?" Raph questioned as he saw them look ready to fight.

"Ever hear the one about the invisible ninjas?" Don asked as he, Leo and Samantha tried to fight the ninjas, but they were picked up and thrown at Casey's feet. He and Mikey had just arrived on the scene.

"Hey. Did I mention that these guys were really strong, too?" Casey inquired. Samantha would've seriously slapped him if things weren't so serious.

"Might've been useful info!" Leo groaned in pain. Raph was trying to hit the ninjas, but since he couldn't see them, it was a losing battle.

"Show ya self, ya lousy…!" Raph growled, but was hit again.

"Uh…think we should give him some help?" Mikey questioned. Everyone nodded.

"I've got the one on the pipe!" Samantha shouted. Holding her Amulet aloft, she concentrated on the pipe and then a few seconds later, she was precariously perched on her target, the ninja whipping around and seeing her. He rushed at her, but she did a quick front flip and, while still in the air, delivered a strong kick that sent the ninja flying into the wall.

"Go Sammy!" she heard Mikey cheer. She looked down to see him giving her the thumbs-up. Then, her eyes met Leo's. He'd just sliced into a ninja's cloaking device and kicked him away before he looked up and locked gazes with her. There was just something about his eyes that were mesmerizing. It was as if he wanted her to look into his soul through his eyes and see the real him. She couldn't pull herself out of the trance until she saw Leo's face contort with fear. She whipped her head to the side and saw the invisible ninja coming at her full steam. She blocked the initial hit, but was tripped and fell from the pipe with a shout.

"Samantha!" she heard Leo and Don yell before she felt herself stop. Something or someone had seized the collar of her battle suit. She looked up. It was one of the invisible ninjas. Dark-blue body armor with the red insignia on their chests, with orange eyes and black for their boots, gloves and masks. They were robotic. She immediately started struggling against the ninja.

"Drop your weapons and surrender!" he commanded, slowly loosening his grip on Samantha. She saw the looks of horror on the faces of the four Turtles and Casey.

"My grip is loosening! I advise that you drop your weapons! NOW!" he warned, loosening his grip a little more. The arrogance in his voice made Samantha remember that fateful day five years ago when the academy had been attacked, and her father…

_There was almost little warning when the doors of the academy were blasted apart and **he** walked in, battle armor terrifying in the dim light of the torches. Surrounding him was his army of ninjas, clothed in black and wearing his symbol. The younger students screamed and scattered to the sides while the older ones took fighting stances, prepared to fight these intruders._

_"What are you doing here?" Bushido demanded, rising from his seat and walking between the rows of older students._

_"I have come for the Amulet and information on my enemies!" the intruder had snarled back._

_"Your dishonorable actions will not get you what you seek!" Bushido declared boldly. _

_"Then you will all perish! Foot Ninja! Attack!" he ordered. The ninja and the older students were battling against each other, and although Samantha had watched the older students train for years, they were no match for the Foot Ninjas. The twelve year old watched as her father took on the strange man in the metal armor. Her father was the most skilled warrior she knew, but his adversary was also very good. Suddenly, two black-clothed ninjas came with shock staffs and proceeded to use them to weaken her father. Samantha ran forward and kicked one of the ninjas away, but then, a huge, blond man appeared from the shadows and grabbed her by the hair._

_"Well, well, well! What do we have here? A little ninja?" he chuckled before throwing her away. She slammed into the lamp stand and watched as it fell over and the flames began to crackle against the wooden floors. She groaned and looked up to see her father on his knees, weakened and exhausted. The man in the metal armor stood over him, his gauntlet with a sharp claw on it raised in the air._

_"This is your last chance, Bushido!" he growled. "Tell me what I want to know or I will destroy you!"_

_He wanted the Amulet. Samantha felt the sapphire dragon under the cloth of her student's uniform. It was then that her father's eyes locked with hers, and the look he gave his daughter told her that he was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to keep the Amulet safe from his monster. Then, with all the strength he had left in his body, he pushed himself up and looked the man in the metal armor with defiant eyes._

_"You may destroy my body, Oroku Saki…but you will **never** destroy my warrior's spirit!" he declared boldly. "I die, yes, but I die as a Bushido! With honor!" The red eyes darkened with rage._

_"Then die with your name and your so-called "honor", old man!" Saki declared as he brought the claw down swiftly and pierced Bushido's heart._

_"Father! NOOOOOOO!" Samantha screamed as her father's lifeless body fell to the floor with a thud before her eyes, Saki's claw stained with her father's blood._

_Father,_ she thought in her mind. It was then that Samantha felt the _tengu_ moving through her body like the night in Central Park. These ninjas were dangling her like a fish on a hook for Saki! Suddenly, Samantha felt something inside her snap. She opened her eyes and saw nothing but red through the goggles. She noticed the Turtles and Casey staring at her in horror, and she could only guess how she looked. But right then, she didn't care. All that mattered was revenge. Seizing the ninja's arm, she bit right through the cloth and metal, severing the arm completely. The act threw both of them off-balance and sent them falling towards the whirlpool beneath them.

* * *

"Sam!" Don shouted as the girl and the ninja plummeted towards the whirlpool. Acting like lightning, Don snatched his Bo staff off the ground, batted two ninjas out of the way and then jumped towards Samantha, grabbing her arm and jamming the staff into a crack in the stone.

"Donny! Pass her up to me!" Leo called down. Don hesitated for a moment, but hearing the staff starting to splinter under the pressure convinced him to pass the unconscious girl up to his eldest brother. Then, Leo reached down and helped his brother up and out. Don grabbed his Bo staff and quickly joined Raph, Casey, Leo and Mikey in fighting off the rest of the invisible ninjas. Once they were all defeated, the five grouped around Samantha. Her Amulet was still glowing, but her fangs were slowly disappearing and becoming regular, white teeth and her ears were losing their pointy nature.

"Dudes! What the shell just happened?" Mikey asked, stepping away from Sam. "One minute, she's Sam and the next, she's some sort of…monster!"

"Her teeth turn into fangs, her ears get pointy and her eyes turn completely red? Something's up with da Princess!" Raph growled.

"Or her Amulet," Leo suggested, pointing to the glowing necklace.

"I'm gonna do some research on this Amulet when we get back to the Lair," Don told them, cradling the girl in his arms. Just then, her eyelids began fluttering and she groaned.

"She's coming to!" Leo hissed. "Act normal!" Finally, Samantha rubbed her head and groaned again, looking around at everyone. Her vision was normal again. Well, as normal as it could be with her heat sensor goggles on.

"You alright, Sammy? You, uh… conked your head on that pipe pretty hard," Mikey told her.

"Save it, Mikey," she moaned. "I know you guys saw what happened to me."

"So what the shell's going on with dat Amulet, Princess?" Raph demanded.

"I've told you guys already that I can't say anything right now!" Samantha snapped from her place in Don's arms. "And it's not because I want to, either! I gave my word!"

"But da next time when ya fall from a pipe or a building, what's yer word gonna mean when yer dead?" Raph snarled.

"Raphael!" Leo growled, narrowing his eyes at his brother. Then, he turned to Sam with a much calmer face. "Samantha. All we want is to protect you. But we need to know what's going on in order to do that. And we need to know it **right now.**"

"I know, Leo. I know. But I can't. Not yet," she whispered. Leo turned away. She looked up and nodded at Donny, telling him with her eyes that he could put her down. Gently, he lowered to her feet and watched as she wobbled a bit, but then stood tall and firm. Then, she looked at the others. "Thanks, guys. I really owe ya one."

"We take cash, personal checks and most major credit cards," Mikey chuckled as everyone removed their goggles.

"Man, I'm beat!" Casey said, stretching. "Maybe I should just crash at yer guys' place tonight."

"No!" Leo shouted. Then, with a look from Sam, he quickly changed his tone. "I-I mean, nothing beats the comfort of sleeping in your own bed!"

"We'll give ya a lift," Don offered. "Have ya home in no time!"

"Take you upstairs! Tuck you in! Heck! We'll even read you a bedtime story!" Mikey added as the four brothers and Samantha began pushing Casey towards where Mikey had parked the Battle Shell. Once Casey was safely inside the Battle Shell, Samantha was about to climb in when someone seized her arm gently. She turned and saw Leo standing next to her. She quickly hopped down.

"What's up, my Fearless leader?"

"Listen, Samantha. I'm sorry if I sounded a little…"

"Controlling?"

"I was gonna say "bossy", but "controlling" works, too."

"It's alright. I'd be frustrated too if one of my friends was keeping secrets from me. You expect me to trust you enough to tell you what's going on. I understand."

"But I don't want you to have to break your word. And I should've thought of that before I said anything. Forgive me?"

"Yes. I forgive you." She patted his cheek. "Now, let's get our bat-swinging vigilante home." Leo hopped up and then reached down to help Samantha into the Battle Shell. Stumbling over the small gap, she landed hard against his plastron. His arms immediately moved around her waist. She drew back a little and saw him gazing at her like they were in one of those scenes in the movies where the guy and the girl are about to kiss. He leaned in towards her. She felt herself leaning towards him. Suddenly, someone gave a pointed cough and the two broke apart, blushing furiously.

"Not interrupting something, are we?" Raph asked, smirking. Casey was smiling and Mikey was trying his hardest not to laugh. Luckily, Don was just climbing in to the driver's seat and had missed the whole thing.

"Nah. Let's get Tough Guy here home," Samantha said, climbing into the front seat beside Don. "He's not the only one who's exhausted."

"I hear that!" the four brothers chorused.

* * *

Meanwhile, Saki was furious that once again, Stockman had failed him. The scientist had just been dragged off to be punished, leaving Hun and the Shredder alone.

"Well, what did you learn from your little interrogation?" Saki demanded.

"I've worked a lot of tough guys in my time. But these creatures have never even heard of your enemies, let alone work for them," Hun informed him.

"Then, they may be of use to me when the time comes to confront those enemies," Saki mused to himself.

"And what about the girl?" Hun inquired.

"I have already made a plan to bring her here," Saki replied offhandedly. "With the help of an old business associate."

"How do you know they'll come through, Master?" Hun asked. Saki merely laughed evilly.

"Because, Hun, I know the businessmen in this city. Their greed is boundless. And I plan to use that greed to bring the Amulet of Bushido and Samantha to me. And when the Amulet is within my grasp, my enemies and the universe will bow before my awesome power!" he declared, laughing maniacally.

**Uh-oh. Who's the mystery man Saki was talking to? What's he planning? And why can't I decide who gets her once and for all? *Sigh*. OK. By the time the sleepover at Samantha's is done, she'll have kissed one of them. So far, the results for who gets her is Romance with Don: 3, Romance with Leo: 1. So, when you review, leave the name of the turtle you want her to be with. Forget the poll (besides, I don't know how they work). Anyways, probably will update this over the weekend, but in the meantime, review, review, review! Thanks! **


	16. Chapter 16

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Thank you to all my lovely reviewers: kaaayyytteee, White Fairy Writer, pokemonjkl, IceColdFever, 35226 and Extreme Dinosuar Fangirl! Also, thanks to 35226 for adding this story to your favs and story alert as well as me to your favorite authors and author alert. And to those following this story, thank you so much and drop a review when you get the chance! Sorry I've been away for so long guys! Life sometimes gets in the way a lot, but now I'm back! And so are more adventures with your favorite turtles and my ninja princess! OK. Enough talk. On to the story!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!  
**

Chapter Sixteen

"So, how'd studying with Olivia go, Sam?" Don asked as the two cruised through the sewer tunnels.

"It went alright," Samantha replied as the Sewer Slider came close to the Lair. "I'm still a little confused on some of the genetic aspects of psychology, though."

"Do you want me to help you go over it?" Don offered.

"Sure. How about tonight, after I kick Mikey's butt in the video game showdown at our sleepover?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"So, Master Splinter is OK with you guys sleeping over at my place?"

"Are you kidding? He's over the moon about "having some peace and quiet for once"!" Samantha laughed. Although she knew that Splinter loved his children dearly, there were times that they could be an extreme headache for an aging rat.

"Yeah, well I have some more good news. The upgrades to the dojo have been completed ahead of schedule. So now, you guys can watch me take on Leonardo in my new, state-of-the-art, high-tech Dojo of Doom as soon as tomorrow!"

"You sounded like Mikey for a second there, Sam!" Don chuckled as he leapt out to enter the code.

"Is that so bad, my turtle genius?" she asked, smiling. He leapt back into the Sewer Slider and held her gaze for a moment before driving into the Lair. Landing next to the pool, he leapt out and helped Sam out as usual.

"Sammy's here!" Mikey shouted, running across the Lair. He leapt onto Sam and the young woman screamed as he knocked the both of them to the ground with his hug.

"Michelangelo! Are you insane? Get off of her!" Leo ordered, rushing over with Raph and Master Splinter. Mikey was immediately hauled off roughly by Raph as Leo and Master Splinter helped Samantha to her feet.

"Are you alright, Princess Bushido-san?" Master Splinter asked the young woman, the concern in his eyes and voice very distinguishable.

"Yes, Sensei," she replied, shaking herself. Then, she smiled weakly at Mikey, who looked terrified. "Guess I'm not used to mutant turtles coming at me at 90 miles an hour."

"I'm sorry, Sammy," Mikey apologized. "I was just excited about the sleepover tonight. I…I didn't mean…"

"It's OK, Mikey," Sam chuckled. "I just never guessed you'd be so excited that I'm gonna be kicking your shell in video games."

"Ha! Dream on, Sammy! You are looking at the master of video games! The prince of the digital domain! The ruler of…!"

"Alright, shell for brains! We get it!" Raph interrupted, clearly annoyed by this rant. "I'm just looking forward to watching the big match tonight! WWE, here I come!"

"I'm excited to see your uncle's laboratory!" Don told Sam, his face shining like a child's on Christmas Eve after seeing a tree bursting with presents.

"I'm glad to be relaxing for a whole, entire weekend!" Leo chuckled.

"Funny, Leo. I thought you didn't know the meaning of the word "relax"," Sam giggled. The others snickered. Leo's face fell, and he looked a bit hurt by her comment. Samantha felt badly for the responsible, levelheaded turtle of the group. "I'm sorry, Leo," she apologized. "I know you take your training and responsibilities very seriously. I didn't mean to…"

"It's fine, Sam," he said, smiling slightly. Then, he chuckled and put his hands on her shoulders, his smile widening at the sight of her reddening cheeks. "Maybe sometimes I take my training a little **too** seriously and forget that in addition to being a ninja, I'm also a teenager."

"Maybe," Samantha managed to say without her tongue tripping up over words. She was wearing a navy-blue tank top, and the feel of Leo's calloused hands on the bare skin of her shoulders was making her skin heat up. How could someone who wasn't even human to begin with make her feel like melting right into his arms? And how could his genius brother be having the same effect on her?

"C'mon, guys. Let's get packing," Leo finally said, taking his hands off Samantha's shoulders. "What are you gonna do in the meantime, Samantha?"

"I need to speak with you, Master Splinter," Samantha informed the elderly rat. "I mean, if that's alright."

"Of course, my child," Master Splinter said. "Please, come with me." Samantha waved to the guys and then followed the elderly rat into his chamber. The smell of incense filled the room and, in a corner by his futon, there was a framed photograph of a young, dark-haired, Japanese man with piercing, dark eyes. The photo was surrounded by lit candles and incense sticks.

"Please forgive the heavy scent of incense, Princess Bushido-san," Master Splinter apologized, sitting at his small table. "I am mourning my master Yoshi. Today would have been his birthday. I miss him dearly."

"I am sorry for your loss, Sensei," Samantha replied, glancing at the photograph of Master Splinter's sensei. "I know how painful it is to lose someone you love dearly. How long has it been since he…?"

"Almost eighteen years," Master Splinter replied in a whisper. "It was not long after his murder that I found my sons."

"Murder?" Samantha repeated in shock. "Do…do you know who killed him?"

"Yes, I do, Princess Bushido-san!" Master Splinter answered firmly. "It is the same man who seeks your Amulet! The same man who murdered your father in cold blood!"

"You mean…?"

"Yes! Oroku Saki! Or, as he is better known: The Shredder!" Samantha gasped.

"How…how did you know that my father was murdered by Saki?" Samantha inquired. "I've never told anyone how my father died. And I didn't see you at his funeral, either."

"I have friends who informed me of Bushido's passing and attended the funeral and burial of your father, my child," Splinter answered. "I myself would have come, but I was…_otherwise occupied_."

"With four, rambunctious, turtle preteens?" Sam chuckled. Splinter smiled and nodded.

"You and your sons will be able to pay homage to my father, Sensei," Sam told him, clenching her fist. "Once the Shredder is destroyed, my father can finally rest in peace!" Splinter stared at her for a moment and saw a flash of red in her eyes. He looked down and saw her Amulet glowing again. Whatever the force was which was inside the Amulet possessed the girl whenever her anger showed, and he sensed that it was not a friendly presence, either. He would have to teach her some ways to counteract the creature or spirit that dwelled within it.

"You remind me very much of the woman my master loved dearly, Samantha my child," Splinter told her offhandedly. Her fist unclenched and when she looked into his eyes, the red was gone.

"Really, Sensei?"

"Yes." Then, he smiled. "Perhaps that is why Leonardo and Donatello seem to be especially fond of you. They have inherited the familial eye for beauty and incredible character." Sam looked down and blushed. Apparently, secrets couldn't be kept in this family.

"Sensei, I…I'm confused. I care for them both a great deal beyond the usual brotherly love. But I can't choose between them. And something tells me that I don't want to, either."

"Love is never an easy thing, my child. Sometimes, it is the most painful thing we can ever experience along with being the most wonderful. I cannot tell you which of my sons to choose, but I **can** tell you this: trust your heart, Princess, and you will never go wrong."

* * *

Don was just studying the passage from the book of Japanese relics when Leo knocked on his door.

"You ready, Donny?" Leo asked, adjusting the strap of his overnight duffel bag on his shoulder.

"Uh…yeah," Don answered, not looking up from the book. "Just…uh…need to pack a few more things, and then I'll be fine."

"Donny?"

"Yes, Leo?"

"You're looking up something about Samantha's Amulet, aren't you?"

"I really can't get anything past you, can I bro?"

"Got that right. So, what'd you find out?"

"Call the others in here. I don't want to have to be repeating myself several times. Plus, it'll make Samantha suspicious if we're calling secret meetings during the sleepover." A few minutes later, Mikey and Raph crowded in with Leo and looked at the book over Donatello's shoulders.

"So, what did ya find, Brainiac?" Raph inquired, studying the page.

"Well, according to this volume on Japanese relics, the Amulet of Bushido was crafted for Bushido by his trusted mystic, Lin-Dai Sin, who had been a trusted mystic to the emperor of Japan," Don read. "The Amulet bore the crest of the Bushido family: a dragon with fiery-red eyes and a blue body. It goes on to say that the gold, rubies and sapphires used to make the Amulet were the finest in all of the Eastern Kingdom."

"Does it say why Sam's turning into a monster every time that thing flares up?" Mikey questioned.

"No. Sorry. But it does go on to mention that Lin-Dai Sin was banished by Bushido from the palace for committing an unspeakable act of treason against the emperor. He even had Lin-Dai Sin cursed by Lin's apprentice, Yoshi."

"Does it say what the curse was?" Raph inquired.

"No. Only that it was the most cruel and horrendous punishment that an emperor had ever bestowed upon a mystic, especially one as talented as Lin-Dai Sin."

"Wait a minute!" Leo said, a thought dawning on him. "You said Lin's apprentice's name was Yoshi, right? Master Splinter's sensei was named Yoshi too. Do you think they could be the same person?"

"I doubt it," Don responded, shutting the book and reaching for another. "Master Splinter never mentioned Master Yoshi having any sort of magical capabilities." He then flipped open to a page displaying a grey-colored creature with sharp, pointy fangs, huge, bat-like wings, long, sharp claws and eerie, red eyes. Mikey screamed like a girl and jumped back, knocking Raph over.

"Watch it, ya moron!" Raph snarled, jumping to his feet and brandishing his fist at Mikey. Leo, obviously looking very disturbed by the picture, visibly shuddered.

"What **is** that thing?" he inquired, sounding a bit shook up. Don's face was grim.

"It's called a _tengu_," Don replied. "That's Japanese for "demon". These creatures have supernatural powers and all serve something called The Great Evil."

"That doesn't sound good," Mikey whimpered.

"And based off of what we saw during the last fight with those "invisible ninjas", I'd say **this** is what's possessing Samantha," Don said, pointing at the picture.

"But how'd it get into the Amulet in the first place?" Mikey asked.

"That's something only Samantha can answer," Don informed them. "But at least we know what the creature is. And, according to the book, these creatures can possess a person only in an extremely volatile state of rage."

"What da heck does **dat** mean?" Raph inquired.

"It means if Samantha gets too angry, that thing senses it and begins to possess her," Leo answered. "Which would explain why she started growing fangs and her eyes turned red. The question now is: what's triggering her anger?"

"Exactly what we need to find out," Don concluded, slamming the book closed. "Now, remember: Samantha **can't** know that we know about the creature… even though we still don't know how the heck it got here. So, everyone keep your mouths shut." Leo, Raph and Don all stared at Mikey.

"WHAT?" Mikey asked, hands in the air.

* * *

"So, is everybody good to go?" Samantha asked as she stood in the living room with the others. They all smiled and nodded.

"Absolutely," Leo replied. Just then, Raph's Shell-cell began to ring.

"Excuse me while I take dis," he told the others, opening the phone and walking a short distance away to answer it.

"Must be Paulina," Mikey snickered.

"Who's Paulina?" Samantha inquired, eyebrows furrowing.

"Raph's new lady," Don answered, smirking. "He and Casey went to a bar last night, and she was being attacked by Purple Dragons in the alley. He saved her, did his Raph thing and the next thing any of us know, she and he are an item. Plus, he'll be getting free drinks whenever he and Casey go there since she's part-owner of the joint."

"Raph drinks?" Samantha asked.

"Oh yeah," Leo sighed, crossing his arms over his plastron. "Ever since he was sixteen, he's guzzled down just about every type of liquor and booze there is. If you ask me, he's headed for trouble. Either that or rehab."

"Yo, guys! Guess what?" Raph shouted, hurrying back towards the group.

"Lemme guess. Paulina and you are going to a club later tonight?" Samantha teased. Raph looked shocked for a moment, but then his eyes narrowed as he glared at each of his brothers.

"Glad to see ya know the lowdown on my private life, Princess," Raph grunted. "But dat's not who called me just now."

"Wait! Don't tell me you've got another girl on the side!" Mikey asked. "Dude! Haven't you ever watched _Jerry Springer_? Or even _Maury_? Having two girls at once is **never** a good idea!"

"Before Mikey comes up with anymore ridiculous theories, it was Casey," Raph informed them. "Apparently, some Purple Dragon punks he was following are robbing an electronics store. He wanted to see if we were in for some "extra training." What do you guys say?"

"**I **say," Samantha replied, holding her Amulet aloft. A flash of light, and she was dressed and armed for battle. "Let's kick some shell!"

"Yeah!" the others cheered, drawing their weapons out.

* * *

"There they are!" Samantha whispered. The six friends stood on a rooftop overlooking the alley beside the electronics store. Purple Dragons, armed and tattooed with their gang's symbol, were carrying out electronics and sacks with stolen loot. Among them, Samantha saw a young girl with dark-red hair carrying a smaller sack. The sight of these punks stealing from hardworking people made Sam's blood boil. That and the fact that they were recruiting kids to do their dirty work pushed her over the edge. "Let's get 'em!" The guys all nodded and jumped into the alley, staying hidden in the shadows.

"Psst!" Mikey whispered to one Purple Dragon. As he turned to look, Mikey cried, "Hiiiyahh!" and kicked him, sending him flying into several others. As the man slowly got up, Samantha recognized him as the leader they'd fought in Central Park a few weeks back.

"See guys?" Mikey said, as everyone drew their weapons and prepared for battle. "Never know what you're gonna find on the old, nightly training run!"

"Now, class. Who can tell me what **he** did wrong?" Leo asked, pointing his katana at Dragonface.

"You mean besides being a badly-dressed, law-breaking, good-for-nothing, lowlife street punk?" Raph answered, twirling his sais.

"And being in need of about 5000 bucks worth of serious plastic surgery? Starting with removing that ugly, purple chicken on his face?" Samantha added, her wakizashi gleaming in the moonlight.

"Bust 'em up, Dragons!" Dragonface commanded. His crew members immediately surged forward to attack them.

"Wahoo!" Casey shouted, leaping into the air and slamming two of them with a hockey stick.

"When are these Dragon dudes gonna learn!" Leo shouted, slamming another thug.

"Green beats purple every time!" Mikey yelled, downing two more thugs.

"They'll all be black and blue by the time I'm through with 'em!" Raph declared, smashing two more thugs.

"In the words of the infamous Ron Stoppable: Booyah!" Samantha cheered as she took out two thugs with a double phoenix kick counter. Leo smiled and shook his head in playful disbelief.

"We've got a runner!" Don yelled, spotting the girl running off down the alley.

"Don't worry! It's covered!" Raph replied, slamming more Purple Dragons. Samantha's wakizashi made quick work of the remaining Purple Dragons, and soon, they were all running scared out of the alley.

"We'd better check on Casey," Don suggested. The others nodded and then hurried down the alley and turned the corner to see Casey on the ground, shaking his head.

"Casey, what happened? Who was that girl?" Raph asked as he and Leo helped him up.

"Her name's Angel. I know her from the neighborhood. I promised her grandma I'd keep an eye on her. Keep her outta trouble," Casey informed them.

"So she's a Purple Dragon?" Leo inquired.

"Not if **I **can help it!" Casey growled, striding off and out of the alley.

"Think we should go after him?" Don questioned.

"He might hurt himself," Samantha added. "Or worse: he might hurt **someone**."

"I think this is one battle we need to let Casey fight," Leo told his siblings and friend. "If he needs us, he knows who to call and where to look."

Back at the Lair, Samantha was busy practicing her hand-to-hand combat fighting moves with Raphael while Donatello made some adjustments to the Battle Shell which was parked inside the Lair. With an eagle's strike attack, Raph was on his shell, Sam's foot on his chest.

"Nice job, Princess," Raph panted as Samantha eased her foot off his chest. "De only other person I've seen pull a fancy move like dat is Master Splinter. Not even Fearless has mastered it yet."

"If by "Fearless", you mean Leonardo, I can't comment on that," Samantha replied, holding out a hand to Raph, who pushed it aside and leapt up and onto his feet. "But from what I've seen, it won't take him long to master the eagle's strike attack."

"Yer a good fighter, Princess," Raph complimented, smiling. "Betcha even Leo couldn't beat ya."

"Don't tempt fate, Hothead!" Samantha warned. Just then, the roar of an engine prevented her from saying more. Suddenly, the two were blinded by the shining headlights of the Battle Shell as it came thundering towards them. They quickly leapt out of the way as the monstrous truck did almost a full lap around the Lair and then slammed into Don's bookshelf. Sam looked up and saw the path of destruction left in its wake as well as the culprit: Michelangelo.

"Mikey!" Raph growled.

"Why am I **not** surprised?" Sam groaned angrily, holding her head in her hand.

"Donatello, your Battle Shell is a marvel of engineering. A true testament to your incredible mechanical skills," Splinter said, looking down at his genius son. Then, his voice turned stern. "And I never want to see it in our home again!"

"You guys alright?" Leo inquired, coming over to Raph and Samantha.

"We're fine," Samantha replied, brushing herself off.

"But **Mikey's **not gonna be once I get my hands on 'im!" Raph snarled, lunging forward, only to have both Leo and Sam an arm each and hold him back.

"C'mon, Raph! Let's get the Battle Shell back up to the garage!" Leo grunted, struggling to keep a firm grip on his hotheaded brother.

"The sooner we get it up there, the sooner you can kick back with the WWE and all the junk you can eat," Samantha added. Raph immediately calmed down and shoved them off of him. The two hit the floor of the Lair and watch the hotheaded turtle go and help his brothers shove the Battle Shell towards the elevator.

"Guess that means he's over what just happened," Sam said to Leo. Just then, they heard the sound of someone's hand connecting with someone's skull. By the sound of the "Ow!" that followed, Sam guessed Raph had smacked his youngest brother.

"Guess again," Leo shot back, leaping to his feet. Samantha jumped to hers too and the two quickly hurried over and helped get the huge vehicle into the elevator. It was only a few minutes later that they were in the garage. They had just managed to get the Battle Shell out of the elevator when they heard a girl's voice call out, "Raphael!"

"Get the engine running, Donny," Samantha instructed. "Something tells me Casey's gotten himself into a fix."

"Sorry that this'll delay our little slumber party, Samantha," Don reminded her.

"Don't worry about it," Sam replied, tying her hair up in a ponytail. "Something tells me I'll be taking my frustration out on the Purple Dragons. You're forgiven."

The engine roared to life as Don opened the garage door. Samantha and the others stood in the blinding headlights, arms crossed over their chests as Raph walked forward, smirking.

"Whoa!" the girl breathed. Samantha recognized the dark-red hair and multiple piercings on her ear. It was Angel, the girl Casey had been telling them about.

"Alright, kid. Dis **better** be good," Raph said.

**So, they're off to rescue Casey. But Samantha's gonna have a little run-in with a face from her past. How will she deal with it? And how are the guys gonna deal with the _tengu_ now that they're not completely in the dark? Stay tuned for more! Spoiler alert: in chapter eighteen, one of the turtles will kiss Samantha! Which one? You'll have to read on to find out! OK. So, reviews feed my creativity, so please use that little button with the word "review" on it. Starting...now!**


	17. Chapter 17

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Surprise! Double update! I was just in the writing mood, so enjoy and please review guys! They feed my creativity! Plus, next chapter is what you have all been waiting for: the kiss!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!  
**

Chapter Seventeen

"OK. I knew Casey hung out with some strange dudes. But you guys are off the chart!" Angel observed as the six of them drove towards the warehouse where the Purple Dragons were holding Casey as well as their "Cage Match Competition". Unfortunately, whoever won the competition got the "honor" of eliminating Casey once and for all.

"No way am I wearing this!" Raph declared firmly. "Tell me humans don't **seriously** dress like this!" He was dressed in white, jogging pants, a white jacket and a black shirt underneath with a matching skullcap. Over his mask, he wore dark sunglasses.

"It's a good look for you, Raph!" Mikey teased. "Kind of a hip-hop, cat burglar, storm-trooper thing!"

"Don't laugh, Green Boy," Angel warned, handing Mikey a small pile of clothes. "You're next!" Sam giggled as the goofball turtle groaned.

"Sometimes, you do come in handy," Samantha muttered, holding her Amulet in the palm of her hand. She'd already used it (much to Angel's shock and surprise) and was dressed in a pair of ripped jeans, a dark, low-cut tank top and a pair of black, motorcycle boots. Underneath her black trench coat were her wakizashi and a few shurikens for good measure. She wore a dark skullcap over her loose hair and was just adjusting a bracelet made of black stones that was around her wrist when Leo threw a dark pair of sunglasses into her lap.

"What're these for?" she inquired, holding them up.

"Dragonface has probably told his goons a lot about all of us. Especially you, Samantha," Leo replied from the front seat. He and Don were already dressed respectively in their disguises. "This is to make sure those Purple Dragons don't recognize you. I don't want anything happening to you before we get Casey outta there."

"**We** don't want anything happening to you before we Casey outta there," Don corrected, looking at his brother. Samantha immediately turned her attention to Mikey, who looked just as funny in his disguise as Raph did. She giggled.

"Ha. Ha. Laugh it up, Sammy!" Mikey replied sarcastically. Very soon, they reached the warehouse. Angel leapt out, followed by Samantha and the others.

"Just follow my lead," Angel instructed, as they walked towards a guard. Angel saluted him and Samantha did the same. She was just about to continue walking when he blocked her path. Angel whipped around and the Turtles stood stock-still behind Samantha, gasping silently in horror. Don took a step towards them, but Leo blocked his path.

"Yer new here, ain't ya, sweetheart?" he asked her, leering at her chest.

"Yeah. What's it to ya?" Samantha shot back, cocking her hip to the side and crossing her arms over her chest to take away Thug Boy's view down her shirt.

"Better watch dat tongue of yours, cutie-face," the thug warned, grabbing her chin and holding her face tightly. "Or ya might not have it for much longer. I'll see ya around." With that, he pushed her away. She stumbled, but managed to regain her balance and stay standing. The thug, who was holding a metal pipe, puckered up his lips and blew a kiss after her as she walked ahead with Angel. The guys caught up with the two girls in almost no time.

"Good thing it's only a three-fingered salute," Mikey commented.

"Are you alright, Samantha?" Leo asked, walking on the other side of the young princess.

"I'm fine," she said dismissively, avoiding eye contact with him. She didn't want him to know how shook up she'd been when that thug had grabbed her, leered at her, blown that kiss after her. It was enough to make her skin crawl.

"Man! It's like we walked into an ugly convention," Mikey told Raph as they walked into the Purple Dragon's headquarters.

"Hey! Then you must feel right at home, Mikey," Raph shot back.

"Knock it off, guys!" Don snapped, looking at them over the tops of his sunglasses. "I'm **trying** to blend here!" With that, he leaned back casually against the stands and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Very convincing, my turtle genius," Samantha whispered to him as she simply tilted her hips and placed her hands on them.

"Ya think so?" Don inquired, shooting her a quick glance. Damn, she looked amazing! When that thug at the gate had leered at her like that, Don had forgotten the plan and was ready to beat the shell out of that punk. And blowing that kiss after her had sealed his fate. Nobody hit on his girl and got away with it! _Wait a second!_ Don thought to himself, looking away from Sam for a moment. _My girl? **My girl?** Am I going crazy or something? I mean, we haven't even kissed, and already I'm calling her "my girl"? Oh shell! What's wrong with me?_ He quickly turned to listen to what the others were saying.

"Ya really wanna look like a Purple Dragon? Try getting yer butt kicked by a ninja turtle!" Raph said, crossing his arms.

"I'm down with that," Mikey seconded, copying his older brother's move before they fist-bumped.

"OK, guys. Take note. We've got exits there and there," Leo informed the small group. "Guards posted around the perimeter. Everyone's pretty heavily armed, so can we **try** and avoid a fight?" Samantha, Don, Raph and Mikey simply looked at each other as though Leo had lost his mind.

"Don't tell me you were serious, Leo!" Samantha begged playfully.

"Yeah, right. What was I thinking?" Leo replied. He hoped his cheeks weren't red with embarrassment. He'd wanted to keep the fighting on the down-low, but now he welcomed it as a chance to show Samantha some of his new moves. Just then, a cage came down and surrounded the large ring that was in the center. Just then, a huge, muscular man with his blond hair tied in a braid appeared in the spotlight close to a microphone. He wore a black, sleeveless vest and black pants. Samantha gasped as her mind flashed back to the day when her father had been murdered.

_Samantha ran forward and kicked one of the ninjas away, but then, a huge, blond man appeared from the shadows and grabbed her by the hair._

_"Well, well, well! A little ninja!" he chuckled before throwing her away. She slammed into the lamp stand and watched as it fell over and the flames began to crackle against the wooden floors. She groaned and looked up to see her father on his knees, weakened and exhausted. The man in the metal armor stood over him, his gauntlet with a sharp claw on it raised in the air before he brought the claw down swiftly and pierced Bushido's heart._

_"Father! NOOOOOOO!" Samantha screamed as her father's lifeless body fell to the floor with a thud before her eye and Saki raised the claw in the air, stained with her father's blood._

Him. It was him. The man who'd stopped her from saving her father. He was here. He was probably the leader of the Purple Dragons. He was big and menacing enough to control a street gang like this one. But someone else had to be the brains of the operation. Someone…like Saki.

"Samantha?" Donatello prodded. She looked and saw the others staring at her, confused and worried. "You alright? You look like you've just seen a ghost or something."

"I…I'm fine, Donny," she answered, shaking herself. "I just…thought I recognized someone here. But it was a mistake. It's nothing. Really." But the look on Don's face told her that he wasn't buying her excuse.

"Tonight's cage match competition will determine which team will have the honor of ridding the Purple Dragons of a most hated enemy!" the blond man declared. Just then, an X-shaped table was lowered into view. At first, the gangsters looked confused, but when the blond man put the hockey mask on Casey, the crowd immediately booed and yelled.

"Oh man! Casey!" Samantha breathed in horror. He looked badly beaten up as he was covered in bruises. Samantha immediately felt her anger begin to flare up. Leo noticed the slight glow of her Amulet and immediately reached for her hand, squeezing it. She looked up and into his calm eyes. She immediately felt her temper cool, but she'd also been able to discern that he knew about the creature inside her Amulet. But that it was all he knew. For now.

"Lousy thugs! I got yer most hated enemy right here!" Raph growled, drawing his sais out from under his coat. He was about to charge in when Leo held him back.

"Not yet, Raph," he whispered. Raph quickly sheathed his weapons out of sight again as the table with Casey was raised close to a catwalk. Purple Dragons from all over were pouring into the ring, desperate to be the ones to defend the "honor of the Dragon" and get their shot at Casey.

"How are we gonna get him down from there?" Don inquired.

"I know how to get to the catwalk," Angel told them.

"Go with her," Leo commanded Don and Mikey. "Nothing fancy. Just stick to the shadows and cut him loose. Raph, Samantha. You're with me."

"What're you guys gonna do?" Mikey asked.

"We'll make sure that spotlight stays on the cage," he replied. "Now, get going!" Before Don left with Mikey and Angel, he gave Samantha a quick shoulder squeeze and a whispered "_Bonne chance, __chérie" _before Leo, Raph and she headed for the caged ring.

"Are you sure about this?" Raph asked his brother as the three of them climbed into the ring.

"You know another way to buy some time?" Leo asked. "Besides, you need the practice."

"_Moi_?" Raph inquired, looking shocked at the very suggestion of it (sarcastically of course.)

"Three new initiates have entered the competition!" the announcer declared. "Let's show 'em how Purple Dragons treat newbies!" More and more thugs entered the cage, surrounding the three.

"And let **me **show you punks how a ninja princess fights!" Samantha growled before leaping into the air and taking out two Purple Dragons with her eagle's strike attack. Punches and kicks were being delivered mercilessly by both Samantha and Raphael.

"Go easy on them, you two! We still need to leave a few of them standing!" Leo reminded them, punching another thug.

"Yeesh! Sorry Leo!" Samantha shot back as she roundhouse-kicked another thug. Amazingly, her sunglasses were still on her face.

"It's alright, Samantha," he answered, kicking a thug away. "You look like you could use something to take your anger out on." Just then, the two of them heard booing and saw Raph in the corner, his disguise completely gone.

"Hey! It's one of them kung-fu lizards!" one of the thugs in the cage said.

"**Turtle**! Don't ya blockheads know a turtle when ya see one?" Raph shouted.

"Uh, Raph? This may not be the time for a biology lesson!" Leo pointed out as the blond man entered the ring, smashing through the iron of the small door like it was nothing at all. Samantha threw off her shades and watched as the blond guy took on Raph, who was promptly thrown into a corner. Leo quickly threw off his disguise. The blond man picked Raph up by the throat.

"Hate to break this up!" Leo shouted before leaping through the air and onto the blond man's neck and then hitting him on both sides of the face. He promptly let go of Raph and was advancing on Leonardo when Samantha jumped into the air and kicked him squarely in the face, sending him stumbling backwards. His head jerked up and his eyes widened in shock when he saw her standing there in a fighting stance, the Amulet around her neck, breathing hard.

"YOU!" he shouted, rushing towards her. She dodged the fist and kicked him in the back. He turned and lunged at the Turtles again, but she tripped him up.

"Keep away from them!" she snarled as he rounded on her. Leo and Raph both came in for attacks, but everything seemed to deflect off of him. Leo quickly sliced off a piece of the cage, which fell onto him.

"That should do it," Samantha observed. But she was horrified to see him stand up and throw the piece directly at them.

"Samantha, move!" Leo ordered, shoving her out of the way just in time. It collided with Raph and Leo, knocking them hard and painfully to the ground.

Samantha went in for a flying sidekick, but he grabbed her leg and threw her against the cage. She struggled to get free.

"Hang on, Princess!" Raph shouted to her as he and Leo got up.

"Isn't that sweet?" the blond man mocked, his other hand closing around her throat. "The freaks are trying to save you. Guess they really care about you, Samantha Bushido. Oh yeah. I know who you are," he told her, taking in her shocked look. "Name's Hun by the way, sweetheart. My master even knows who you are. All that's left is to deliver you to him. But losing you should take the fight out of these gecko freaks!"

Just then, Samantha felt Hun release her. She fell to the floor of the ring and slowly got up. She saw Leo kick Hun one more time and figured that he must've been the one who'd saved her.

"You OK?" she heard Don ask her as he helped her up.

"Don? Where'd you come from?" she moaned, massaging her throat.

"We got Casey free without a hitch," Don informed her as the other three battled Hun. "Then, we had to battle some other Purple Dragons who wanted to crash this little party." He and Samantha hurried to where his brothers were watching Hun get up again.

"Don't look now. But Tiny still wants to dance," Mikey told the others.

"How many times do we have to smash this guy to make him get down and stay there?" Samantha growled. Just then, Hun lifted up the cage, weakening the supports and bringing it crashing down. Samantha felt her body being pushed to the ground and someone lying on top of her as the cage toppled onto them. A green hand quickly helped her to a kneeling position. Then, she gasped. Somehow, Hun had Leo's katana swords in his hand. Samantha pushed past Donatello and blocked the blow.

"You…will…**not**…destroy...the people…I…love…again!" Samantha gritted out, Hun's weight beginning to push her down. She remembered her father, and how Hun had rendered her helpless so that she couldn't save him. Her father. Hun. Saki. The anger returned to her with a vengeance. A red mist once again descended upon her eyes, and she could feel the evil of the _tengu_ pulsing through her body.

_Destroy this pathetic ape! _the voice commanded. _He will destroy the friends you love! He'll slay them and then hand you over to Saki! Avenge your father by slaying this dog!_

"Father!" she roared in a voice that was frightening to her own ears. Hun's face was a mask of shock and fear as he stared down at the girl. But his resolve did not weaken.

"The _tengu's_ taking over her again," Don whispered to the others. "We've gotta stop it before it takes total control of her!"

"But what do we do?" Mikey inquired.

"It feeds off of her rage. We need to calm her down. One of us should talk to her," Don theorized. "Reason with her. Try to bring the real Samantha out so that the monster will be beaten back."

"Sounds like a plan, but who's gonna do it?" Raph questioned.

"I'll go," Leo offered. And before any of them could object, Leo kicked Hun away and landed in front of a fang-toothed, red-eyed, claw-wielding Samantha.

"Samantha? It's me, Leonardo. Now, I need you to listen to my voice. Don't let the creature control you. **You **control **it.** Come back to us, Samantha."

"Foolish mutant!" she cackled. "Soon, the girl will be gone, and I will be free to join my master!"

"Samantha, I know you're in there somewhere!" Don shouted to the girl. She whirled around and faced Donatello. He shuddered at the sight, but continued. "Please. Don't let it win. We need you here with us. **I **need you here with us. Please! Fight it, Sam! Fight it!"

* * *

_"Fight it, Sam! Fight it!" _she heard Don's voice say. Fight it. She needed to fight.

_No! You must avenge your father! _ the voice reasoned. _Take care of that gorilla and then destroy these pathetic creatures who dare to stand in the way of your quest; your promise to you father! Spare them, and you are a failure, just like Yoshi predicted you would be._

"_No,"_ Samantha replied inside her mind. _"You don't win, demon! I shall avenge my father, make no mistake! But I shall do it with honor and with no help from an evil, manipulative creature like you!"_

Samantha's Amulet's glow slowly began to fade and the effects of the _tengu_'_s _possession were reversing. She moaned, holding her throbbing head. Suddenly, a shadow fell over them, as Hun stood with Leo's swords once more. Just as he was about to strike, Casey tapped him on the shoulder and smashed him into the stands with a baseball bat. Raph gave the thumbs-up. Unfortunately, more Purple Dragons started pouring in towards them. Leo quickly helped Samantha up, keeping a steady arm around her shoulders.

"Take us outta here, Don!" Leo shouted.

"I have just what the doctor ordered," Don replied, pulling out a remote.

"Oh taxi!" Mikey joked, waving his hand as if he were hailing a cab. The Battle Shell came bursting through the garage, sending Purple Dragons scattering left, right and center. Everyone quickly hurried inside as Don drove them to Angel's grandmother's house. Watching the joyful reunion from a distance, Samantha smiled despite her aching head.

"Pie?" Mikey echoed, his eyes lighting up. "Yo, Casey! How's about introducing Grandma to yer friends?"

"Forget it, Mikey," Raph told him, putting a brotherly arm around his shoulders. "We're ninjas, remember?"

"We stick to the shadows," Samantha added.

"The unsung heroes of the urban jungle," Leo said as he leapt up into the Battle Shell and then pulled Samantha inside.

"The silent protectors of the way of Bushido," Don added as he started the engine. Samantha sat down as Mikey said, "So what kinda pie do ya think it was?" Raph was about to smack him when Sam said, "Allow me!" and did it instead.

"OW!" Mikey cried, rubbing his head. "Sammy! What was **that** for?"

"I think you know, Mikey," Don jumped in.

"I'm gonna get you during the videogame showdown for this, Sammy!" Mikey warned.

"Oooo! I'm **so** scared, Mikey!" Samantha replied sarcastically, undoing her seatbelt. Walking towards the front where Leo and Don were sitting, she saw the smirks Raph and Mikey were throwing behind her, thinking that she couldn't see them.

"You feeling OK, Sam?" Don questioned, glancing at her before turning back to the road.

"Still kinda woozy from that battle, but other than that and some pain from…well, you know what…I'm OK," she answered.

"We'll get you safe and sound in bed when we get to your place," Leo offered. "And we'll be as quiet as possible so that you can rest."

"Leo, relax. I'll be fine. And the only things **we're** gonna do when we get to my place is eat, watch movies and party hard like rock stars!" Samantha shouted. Raph and Mikey cheered. Don chuckled and Leo cracked a smile.

"And before I forget," Sam muttered loud enough for the two turtles to hear her. She planted sweet, long kisses on the cheeks of both Don and Leo before stepping back. Both turtles flushed red and put their hands on the cheeks she'd kissed.

"What was that for?" Leo asked her.

"I think you know," she whispered. "_Both_ of you. Now, I know you don't have the whole story yet, but thanks for saving me from the _tengu._"

"_Pour toi, chérie, je battrais le diable soi-même," _ Don told her. _For you, darling, I would fight the devil himself._ She smiled and walked back to her seat.

"What was **that** all about, Princess?" Raph teased. "Ya could've made Donny drive off da road and into a tree!"

"Please, Hothead!" chuckled Samantha. "I'm not a distraction."

"Oh yes you are!" muttered the two brothers at the same time. They turned and glared at each other before turning away again.

"Something tells me **dis** is gonna be one interesting sleepover!" Raph chuckled.

_And something tells **me** that **this** is gonna be one **long** weekend! _Samantha groaned inside her head as she knew that sooner rather than later, she was gonna have to break a part of her heart and someone else's completely and choose between her Fearless leader and her turtle genius.

**So, Samantha knows that the guys know about the _tengu. _But when is she gonna tell them the _full_ story about the Amulet? You'll have to keep reading to find out! Also, the next chapter is the kiss between Samantha and one of her two, top turtles! Or maybe she'll kiss them both? Time for bed! So please review! Starting...now!**


	18. Chapter 18

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**First, shout-outs to my reviewers: pokemonjkl, Drusilla52 and snow299. Also thanks to snow299 for adding me to all those things that matter: author's alert, favorite author, story alert and favorite story! Guys, remember: the little button at the bottom feeds my creativity, so please use it and leave a review when you can. So, this chapter is what you have all been waiting for: the kiss! But will there be more than one kiss? Read on cuz I'm not spoiling it! On with the story!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!  
**

Chapter Eighteen

"You can drive through the front gates this time, Don," Samantha told him as they cruised down the deserted streets of Westchester. "My uncle's expecting you guys. Plus, I don't want anyone to steal the Battle Shell while we're inside having a good time."

"Don't worry about it, Samantha," Don reassured her. "I took the time before Mikey went and messed with the Battle Shell to add a cloaking device to its already incredible arsenal."

"Donatello, you **are** the turtle!" Samantha shouted, smiling. Don blushed and turned onto Grandville Drive. It was only a few moments later when he turned onto the small side street and parked the Battle Shell. The five friends got out of it, the Turtles with their stuff for the weekend, and Don pressed a button on the small remote that he'd used to get them out of Purple Dragon central. The Battle Shell first locked up, and then just seemed to vanish before their eyes.

"Nicely done, Donny!" Leo complimented.

"Ha! Now, you see it! Now, you don't!" Mikey chuckled.

"C'mon, guys! I'll show you to your rooms and let you get settled before Mikey and I face off in video games!" Samantha told them, unlocking the gate. The four ninjas followed her through the garden and up into her bedroom. Then, she led through the door and into a brightly-lit hallway that was filled with several doors.

"Uncle Kenji's room is right there," she informed them, pointing to a door on their right. "The servants have the night off, and they're in the quarters off the kitchen. Don't worry. They won't be bothering us at all tonight." She led them further down the red, carpeted hallway and stopped when they were almost at the end. Four doors, two on each side, surrounded them.

"Raph and Don, your rooms are on the right," Samantha instructed. "Mikey and Leo, your rooms are on the left." The guys immediately headed into their rooms and started unpacking. She could hear Mikey's laugh, Raph's sigh of relaxation and Don's chuckle as she went and stood in the doorway of Leo's room. The guestrooms were all identical with four-poster beds with the most comfortable mattresses, huge dressers, a large night-table that housed a lamp and three drawers for storing things as well as a huge closet and a small, private balcony.

"So, how do you like it?" she asked him. He set down his bag on the ground, sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her. She felt her cheeks warming under his gaze.

"It's really nice, Samantha," he told her. "I can't believe you got all of this arranged just for us."

"Hey. What are friends for? So, how come Sensei didn't come with you guys?"

"I guess he was looking forward to having some peace and quiet for once. That wouldn't happen if he'd come with us."

"You guys must **really** drive him crazy."

"I can only speak for myself, but I think it's mostly Mikey's fault!"

"I heard that, dude!" Mikey shouted. Sam and Leo giggled.

"I'm gonna go get changed and let you finish unpacking," Samantha said to Leo. "And Leo?"

"Yes, Samantha?" he replied.

"Um…thanks for being OK with coming for a sleepover. I…uh…appreciate it."

"No problem. Besides, how much fun would a sleepover be without yours truly?"

"A lot!" Raph shouted from his room across the hall. Sam snickered and rolled her eyes as Mikey appeared beside her, looking buoyed up and excited.

"So, ready to be defeated by the Prince of the Digital Domain, Sammy?" Mikey inquired playfully. Samantha smiled, held her Amulet up, and was changed into a pair of red sweats and a royal-blue tank top. She quickly swept her hair up in a bun and tied it securely. Then, she turned and faced her challenger.

"Nope! I'm ready to defeat the Prince of the Digital Domain and take over his kingdom!"

* * *

"OK. Zip up yer parkas, boys!" Samantha declared, holding the Wii remote like a baseball bat. "I'm sending this one to Siberia!"

"You'll never be able to hit my awesome curve-ball, dudette!" Mikey countered, holding the other remote. With two strikes and the bases loaded, Samantha was ahead of Mikey by one run in the bottom of the third inning of Wii Sports Baseball. So far, they'd tied in Dance Dance Revolution 4, Sam had won at _Super Smash Brothers_, but Mikey had annihilated her in _Guitar Heroes 3._

"You can do it, Sam!" Don shouted.

"Kick his shell, Princess!" Raph encouraged.

"Hit it out of the park, Samantha!" Leo yelled. Mikey wound up and pitched a fast curve-ball which Samantha swung at, striking it with all her might. The ball went sailing over the outfielders' heads, over the crowd and out of the stadium.

"It's Out of the Park!" the Wii announcer declared. Samantha jumped up and down, screaming with delight as her players ran around the bases, adding four runs to Samantha's five. As soon as the last runner came in, the game ended with a score of 9-4.

"I did it!" Samantha shouted happily. "I won!"

"Congrats on a good game, Sammy," Mikey said, sounding a little glum that he'd lost. She smiled and kissed his cheek, chuckling as she watched it light up like a Christmas tree.

"You too, Mikey. I was kinda worried in the top of the second inning there when you scored four and tied with me."

"Hey! What about the supporting fans who cheered you on from da sidelines?" Raph inquired pointedly. She whipped around and smiled. Then, she kissed Raph, Leo and finally Don on the cheek.

"Thank you. And now, my supporting fans, it's time for a movie. Now, who gets to pick first?"

"Well, since you defeated Mikey at baseball, you should choose first, Samantha," Leo told her. The other three nodded in agreement.

"Well, there **is** one movie I've wanted to watch for a while now."

* * *

The four Turtles and Samantha were sprawled out in the den eating popcorn and watching Lee Daniels' new film _Precious_. Olivia had told Samantha about it while they'd been studying for the psychology test, and after much persuasion, agreed to lend her the DVD to watch it.

"Yeesh! Precious's mom's one cold bitch!" Raph observed, digging into his bowl. The others didn't respond, but were simply riveted to the screen. They watched in horror as Mary Lee Johnston picked up a hard object and flung it at her daughter's head, striking the poor girl in the skull.

"Yeesh! And I thought you guys smacking me in the head hurt like shell!" Mikey gasped.

"This abuse is only going to contribute to very low self-esteem, depression and possibly even suicide," Don theorized. Just then, the scene switched to a flashback in Precious's mind of her father on top of her, raping her while her mother watched from just inside the doorway of her room. The father was muttering, "Yeah. Yeah, that's right. Uhn, that's right…right there. Daddy **loves** you." Precious's eyes were wide with fear as her father pushed himself deeper and deeper inside of her, groaning and sweating.

"Good Lord!" Don breathed, covering his eyes.

"I think I'm gonna hurl!" Mikey groaned, covering his mouth with one hand and holding his stomach with the other. Samantha didn't know why, but at that moment, she looked at Leonardo. His jade-green skin had become paler, and his eyes…they were…troubled.

"Leo? You alright?" Samantha inquired. His brothers immediately caught the tone of concern and turned towards their leader.

"Yeah? You OK, bro?" Mikey echoed.

"I'm fine," Leo said curtly, standing. "I…I just need some air." But Samantha knew something was wrong. She stood up as well and touched his cheek. She felt him trembling and knew that it had nothing to do with her touch.

"Look at you. You're shaking," Samantha observed. Leo slapped her hand away.

"I'm fine! Just back off, Samantha!" he growled, running out of the den.

"What's with him?" Sam asked the others. They all shrugged and turned back to watching the movie. But Samantha's mind wasn't focusing on the life and trials of Clareece Precious Jones. It was focused on what could possibly be bothering Leonardo so much that he'd snap at her like that.

* * *

"Pizza's here!" Sam yelled from the kitchen, setting the last of the six, extra-large barbeque chicken and pepperoni pizzas on the counter. Mikey was the first one to come running into the kitchen like a rabid dog was after him. Don and Raph came hurtling in afterwards. But as Samantha and the others dug into the pizzas, there was no sign of Leonardo.

"Hey. Where's Leo?" Don asked, munching on a slice of pepperoni.

"Dunno," Raph answered with his mouth full. "Maybe 'e's in 'is room or something."

"Does he usually avoid pizza? 'Cause I've got Chinese food on the way if he prefers that," Sam informed them.

"Chinese? Somebody pinch me!" Mikey shouted after wolfing down a third slice of pizza. Raph smirked and reached towards him, but Mikey moved away and said, "Don't even **think** about it, bro!"

"I know Leo likes his space at times, but this is weird even for him. It's not like him to be so anti-social," Don said to Sam as they both leaned against the counter.

"Ah, he probably thinks he's too cool to hang with us, Princess," Raph suggested. "Probably up in his room meditating or something."

"No, I don't think so," Sam replied, rubbing her chin thoughtfully before grabbing four slices of pepperoni pizza and putting them on a plate. "Something's up. And I'm gonna find out what."

"Good luck," Don told her as she left the kitchen and headed upstairs with the pizza slices. She turned to the right and headed down the hallway to the last door on the left.

"Leo?" she called, knocking on the door. "Are you in there?" There was nothing but silence. She turned the knob and opened the door slowly and quietly. She peered around the door and saw that his room was empty. The bed was still neatly made, but his bag was open by the bedside table and a few items were on the table. Then, Samantha noticed the blowing curtains and the open window. She smiled. The saying really was true: when you're feeling down, the only place left to go is up. Or in this case, up to the roof.

* * *

Leo gazed at the stars twinkling in the dark, night sky. They shone so brightly, like diamonds. The cool, night air soothed his soul and took his mind off of that movie. He suddenly felt very guilty about snapping at Samantha like that. He hadn't meant to, especially since she was being such an amazing hostess to them. But seeing Precious Jones being abused so horrifically by her father while her mother just watched was…horrifying to say the least. And he couldn't let Samantha see her "Fearless leader" showing himself to be vulnerable to a movie.

"I thought I might find you up here," he heard Samantha say. He whipped around and saw her walking across the roof towards him, a plate of pizza in her hands. Luckily, it was a flat roof. So why was his heart suddenly beating so rapidly?

"What are you doing here?" he asked her as she came and sat down beside him.

"You weren't in your room, and I saw the window open, so I came up here to find you." He looked into her eyes and, once he saw the sincerity in them, he looked down to the plate in her lap. She followed his gaze.

"Oh, and I brought some pizza for you," she remembered, holding out the plate. She smiled. "You know how Mikey is around food."

"Tell me about it!" Leo chuckled, taking the plate from her and biting into a slice. "Thanks, Samantha." Then, he stopped eating and looked at her. "I'm sorry for snapping at you like that. And for ruining the night for you."

"You haven't ruined the night for me, Leo. But, I wanna know what got you so rattled."

"Promise not to laugh?"

"Why would I laugh?"

"_Promise_, Samantha."

"OK. I promise."

"When I was sixteen, my brothers and I were out on patrol. I was out in Brooklyn on a rooftop when I saw a grown man on top of a little girl." His face was grim, and he squeezed his eyes shut. Samantha felt her stomach knot into a pretzel. "She didn't look older than eight years old. The bedroom window was open, and I heard her screaming, "Daddy, stop it!" over and over and over. But he didn't. Then, a woman came in. I thought **she **would stop it. The little girl yelled, "Mommy, help me!" but the woman just stood there and watched her husband rape that little girl again and again."

"And when you saw Precious's father raping her in the movie and her mother standing there, it triggered a flashback of what you saw that night," Samantha realized.

"I…I wanted to stop it. I wanted to help that little girl. I wanted to slice that man's throat. There's just something about abused children that sets something off in me. Something that makes me wonder why I'm so lucky to have a loving father and three, awesome brothers while other children are beaten, raped and treated like trash instead of the human beings they are."

"You couldn't do anything for that little girl that wouldn't have jeopardized the safety of yourself and those you love, Leo. And the fact that you haven't forgotten that girl shows that you have a good heart."

"I'm a coward, Samantha! I couldn't save that little girl! I went back there every night, whenever I could, and I just watched her father hurt her over and over. I called the police and left an anonymous tip. But when I went back a few nights later, nothing had changed. In fact, the only thing he did was close the window. I couldn't sleep for two weeks. I'd dream about her, hear her screaming my name, begging me to help her, to make her Daddy stop it. And then, she just disappeared. Whether someone else reported the abuse or whether they just moved away, I don't know. What I **do** know is that I failed that little girl."

"You did **not** fail her, Leonardo! You did everything you could without revealing yourself to the surface world. As far as I'm concerned, that little girl was lucky to have you call the police. At least that gave her a few days of peace. And don't you **dare** call yourself a coward, either! Other people would've just turned and walked away. You didn't. And that's why you're the bravest creature I've ever known."

"You…you don't think less of me for not jumping in and saving the girl? You know, being the "Fearless leader" you're always calling me?"

"Leonardo. Being a leader doesn't mean you leap into action without thinking things through first. And being **my** Fearless leader doesn't mean that you always come up as a hero by taking people out. Sometimes, doing things like what you did for that girl makes you more my Fearless leader than taking out Purple Dragons and muggers."

"Really?"

"Really. Now, eat your pizza before it freezes." Leo smiled and wolfed down the remaining slices of pizza while Samantha gazed at the star-strewn sky. Just then, a shooting star streaked across the sky.

"Ooo! A shooting star!" she shouted. Leo looked up and saw the white light shoot across the dark. "Quick, Leo! Make a wish!" She closed her eyes really tight. Leo smiled and silently made a wish.

"What did you wish for?" Leo asked her when she opened her eyes.

"I can't tell you, or it won't come true!" Samantha chuckled. "C'mon! The others are probably wondering where we are. Plus, I still need to show Donny my uncle's lab." Leo nodded, handed her the empty plate and then hauled her up. The two walked back along the roof and down towards Leo's window. They quickly climbed down and back into the room.

"I think I need a few minutes," Leo told her. "You know, to get back in the swing of things."

"Come downstairs whenever you're ready, my Fearless leader," Samantha giggled. "The party hasn't stopped yet. And make sure Mikey the Mutant Trash Compactor doesn't eat off all the Chinese food I ordered!"

"Will do." She began walking out of his room when he called out, "Samantha!" She turned and he walked forward until he was standing a foot away from her. She was so close, so beautiful. He reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, his hand cupping her cheek. He felt his cold skin warm as her hand slid over his. He took his other hand and tilted her chin up so that he could look into her gorgeous, brown eyes.

"Samantha, I…I…I…" he stuttered, but she silenced him with her kiss. He was shocked at first, but then, he kissed her back with intense passion. He didn't even realize that he was backing her towards his bed until he felt himself falling and landing on top of Samantha. He placed his arms on either side of her head to keep himself balanced. His lips moved from her mouth to her neck, causing her to groan as her fingernails dug into his shoulders. Leo's hand slipped underneath Samantha's tank top, caressing the warm, bare skin of her stomach as his lips returned to her mouth, his tongue tickling her lips lightly. Her hands traced the muscles in his arms, the light touch on his flesh causing him to shiver with pleasure. She felt his hand travelling from her stomach towards her bra. As much as he made her feel alive, as much as she wanted to keep going, Samantha knew she needed to stop this before things went too far. Or worse: before one of the others walked in on them and saw what they were doing.

"Leo," she whispered, breaking away from his kiss and pushing him away. "We…we can't do this. Not tonight."

"Why not?" Leo asked, sitting back and looking surprised.

"We…we just can't," Samantha replied, sliding off the bed and hurrying out of the room. And as the door slammed closed behind her, Leo flopped down onto his bed wanting to kick himself.

* * *

"This laboratory is…is…is…" Don stammered, looking around at all the high-tech gadgets that were lying in cases or on laboratory tables. Samantha smiled at the mutant's speechlessness.

"Incredible? Magnificent?" Samantha prodded.

"Awesome!" Don finished. The private lab was housed beneath the basement of the house. To access it, Samantha turned a small wheel close to the furnace, which opened and a laser would appear and scan Samantha's eyes, matching their color, size and shape to the entries in its maximum-security database. Retinal scanning was a lot better than regular old fingerprint scanners, according to Uncle Kenji, as it was a lot more difficult to get a hold of someone's eye than their finger. The lab was wide with thick, cement walls and was sterile and shone like a newly-minted coin.

"Ah! Donatello! Enjoying yourself, are you?" asked the familiar voice of Uncle Kenji. The two looked and saw him at the top of the staircase, smiling as he continued down to them.

"Uncle Kenji, this place is amazing!" Don breathed as the man smiled with pride. "Nano chips, neural interfacing microchips, handheld biological scanners, and M.D. microchips."

"That last one has been a big hit with hospitals and doctors," Samantha informed him. "Having all that medical data stored on a tiny chip that can be scanned is saving a lot of lives. Especially if they've been involved in motor vehicle accidents or violent crime."

"What's under this tarp, Uncle Kenji?" Donatello asked, pointing to two, long items hidden under two sheets.

"**That**, Donatello, is a little "special project" I'm working on separately from the company," Uncle Kenji replied, patting the object under one of the sheets. "It's something I'll pray that I'll never need to use. But, as I've learned: it's better to be safe than sorry." Uncle Kenji's face fell, and the lines in his face became a lot clearer, aging him. Samantha simply patted him on the shoulder. Smiling at his niece, he gave her a quick hug. Samantha quickly whispered something in her uncle's ear before moving away and looking at Don, smiling.

"Now, Donatello," Uncle Kenji said, turning back to the mutant turtle. "My niece tells me that you're a technology genius."

"Um…I…I know a _few_ things," Don stammered, blushing and looking hard at Samantha.

"Don't be so modest, Don!" Sam chuckled. "Uncle Kenji, he's _incredible_! He designed the plans for the Battle Shell, the security system for the Lair and has the computer skills of a SAL 9000 supercomputer! He's a genius!"

"Well, I could use someone like you in my organization, Donatello," Uncle Kenji informed him. "And since your character has been spoken for, you can start immediately upgrading our firewall and network security systems. After some 19 year old sociopath hacked our firewall, people can't even open their emails without worrying about Trojan viruses and other cyberspace junk. Of course, you'll be well paid for your work. And I have a few friends in the business world looking for someone with your…_incredible_ capabilities. You can work from home, and I can set up an online bank account in your name. What do you say?"

"I say…when do I start, Boss?" Don replied excitedly. Samantha beamed as Uncle Kenji chuckled.

"Monday morning," Uncle Kenji answered. "Nine a.m. sharp. And get ready for a huge workload, Donatello. This hacker was no amateur."

"Don't worry, Sir," Donatello told him firmly. "I'll create a system so complex that no hacker will be able to decode it without getting caught!"

"Alright, then," Uncle Kenji said, smiling. "Now, I'm going to sleep. I've got a 10:40 a.m. flight to Miami to get on, so you kids keep it down, alright?"

"You're leaving?" Samantha inquired in shock.

"It's just for half a day, my cherry blossom," Uncle Kenji reassured her. "I'll be back before nightfall at the latest. You'll be fine with your ninja turtle friends here to guard you from…you-know-what. Now, goodnight, my niece. Donatello."

"Goodnight, Uncle Kenji," they both told him as he exited the lab.

"I can't believe you got me a job!" Don shouted gleefully, sweeping Sam into his arms for a huge hug.

"Easy, Donny! I'm getting dizzy!" she laughed before he set her back down on her feet, but his arms were still around her waist.

"Sorry. It's just…wow! I can't believe that **I'm** gonna be working for the famous Timothy Kenji and the renowned Kenji and Huang Co.! This is a dream come true!"

"Well, when Uncle Kenji was talking about it on the phone the other night with his partner, I couldn't think of anyone better than you, my turtle genius."

"Call me that again."

"What?"

"Call me "my turtle genius" again."

"OK? My turtle gen..." Samantha was cut off when Don's lips covered hers. Even though he was cold-blooded, his mouth was warm on hers, his tongue poking at her lips, begging for her to let it in so he could taste her. Her arms went around his neck as his tongue managed to poke its way into her mouth, battling with hers. Samantha moaned as Don's hands began caressing her back, as her hands moved to trace the muscles in his arms, as his lips and tongue moved from her mouth to her neck.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this, Samantha!" he whispered against her skin. His teeth lightly grazed the skin of her neck, causing the young girl to groan with longing. Damn! For a single, turtle genius, Don sure knew how to make a girl melt into a puddle. But Samantha wasn't completely naïve. Her lips were soon on Don's neck, kissing the skin gently but sensually enough to elicit a groan from the techno turtle. Her arms had slipped from around his neck, and now her hands were on his chest over his heart.

"Samantha, I…I…I need to tell you something," Don breathed, pulling back. She looked up into the slits of his purple mask, her eyes glazed. "Ever since I met you, I've felt something towards you. Whenever I see you, my heart beats like a speeding bullet train. When you're fighting with us, I can't help but be drawn to you, wanting to protect you from the _tengu_ and from our enemies. But I never forget that you're a strong, beautiful princess who can kick ass in any part of New York City. Samantha, you are, without a doubt, the most amazing girl I've ever met. You're intelligent, beautiful like an angel, courageous, kind, loving, passionate, patient, and I…I…I l-l-like you a lot."

"I like you a lot too, Donny," Sam replied, resting her head on his plastron. "But what about April? I thought you and she…"

"April's intelligent, pretty and cool, but she's not you, Samantha Bushido. You're the only girl who's ever made me feel like I'm something more than a techno geek. You make me feel like being a better teenage mutant ninja turtle. I mean, I'm not Leonardo, but…"

"You're right. You're my turtle genius," Samantha cut in, hugging him. "And I care about you a lot."

"What about Leo? Do you care about him a lot, too?"

"Yes. But right now," Sam purred seductively, grabbing the ends of Don's bandana and pulling him closer to her body, "do you **really** want to talk about that?"

"Well, I…"

"No? Good." And before he could say another word, Sam pulled the ends of his bandana again, bringing his face close enough for her to kiss him without much effort. Don's eyes immediately rolled back in his head as he kissed Samantha back. She almost went limp in his arms, and he tightened his grip on her to keep her steady.

"Sammy! Donny! The Chinese food's here! Where are you guys?" Mikey's voice asked. Samantha immediately pulled away and straightened her hair.

"In the lab, Mikey! We'll be up in a minute!" Samantha called back. Then, she turned back to Don, who was wiping off every trace of Samantha's lip gloss from his mouth.

"So they don't have any proof," Don told her simply when he caught her looking at him. "But don't worry," he added, smirking and drawing her into his arms. "I plan on continuing this later."

"So do I," chuckled Samantha, her hands on his plastron. "Remember this, my turtle genius: I **always** finish what I started."

"Good to know."

"So, let's go and get some Chinese food before Mikey eats it all."

"With Raph's and Leo's help!"

Leo. She hadn't thought about how she was going to face him after what'd happened in his room. But as Don took her hand and led her up the stairs, she started thinking that maybe she worried too much. I mean, tons of people dated multiple partners at the same time. And even if Jerry Springer, Maury Povich and every daytime, reality show host disagreed, she would save herself and the two turtles she loved a lot of pain and heartbreak. Right?

**OK. For those of you who read these bottom portions, I _still_ don't know who she should be with because these two are my favorite turtles, and the thought of having to break one of their hearts is not sitting well with me. Plus, some of my readers like DonxSam while others like LeoxSam. This is agonizing, but I think I can find the willpower to break someone's heart in the next chapter. And for those of you wondering when Shredder is gonna appear again, don't worry. Old Clawface (a.k.a. Shredder) will be back sooner than you think. OK. Time for bed. Reviews, please! Starting...now!**


	19. Chapter 19

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**First, shout-outs to my fabulous reviewers: Drusilla52, pokemonjkl, snow299, LeoLover95, IceColdFever and White Fairy Writer! You guys are amazing! And to all those following this story but haven't reviewed, thank you too! Second, to BubblyShell22, thank you so much for your honesty. I'm so sorry for creating a girl so much like a Mary Sue, but please stay with me my readers, and I promise I will make Samantha a lot less of one. I didn't really understand what a Mary Sue was, but then I found out and was shocked, so I deeply apologize. Anyways, sorry I've also been gone so long. Just trying to sort out everything with this story and my other ones. OK. Enough of my rambling. On with the story! P.S.-I think you'll like it! :D  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!  
**

Chapter Nineteen

"Ya know what the best part of Chinese takeout is?" Mikey asked before shoveling down more Moo Shoo pork and fried rice.

"The Szechuan chicken?" Raph said, munching on some of the red-colored meat.

"The chicken fried rice?" Don supplied.

"The Chow Mein noodles with shrimp?" Leo added.

"No, no, and no! It's the **fortune cookies!**" Mikey exclaimed. The other three groaned. Samantha simply looked confused.

"Am I missing something here?" she inquired, eyebrows furrowing.

"Mikey's got this thing about fortune cookies," Leo whispered to her as his youngest brother dug eagerly through the brown bags their orders had come in. "The last time we ordered Chinese food, he got a fortune that read, "The thing you desire the most will soon be yours." And the next day, he got a new comic book."

"No way!" Samantha gasped.

"Way, Princess," Raph jumped in. "And then he was going on and on for days about how the fortune cookies must be magical or somethin'. I lost count o' how many times I smacked him after the third time."

"Aha! Here they are!" Mikey crowed triumphantly, holding up five, crescent-shaped cookies.

"Mikey, the odds of a piece of paper predicting the occurrence of a future event are as likely as the probability of the Moon changing its orbital pattern to one that would create a collision between it and Earth," Don told him, groaning. Everyone except Samantha stared at him like he was speaking Greek.

"Basically, Don's saying that the probability of a fortune cookie prediction something in the future is almost as likely as the Moon crashing into the Earth," Samantha simplified.

"Geez! We shoulda found ya eons ago, Princess!" Raph snickered. "We've needed a translator for ages! But we never could find anyone else that spoke "geek" as fluently as Donny here!"

"Ha. Ha. It is to laugh," Don shot back sarcastically.

"C'mon, guys! We gotta open them! I've got a feeling that someone's gonna get a really good one!" Mikey begged.

"Wow, Mikester. I never would've pegged you for the superstitious turtle," Samantha said.

"**I **would," Raph muttered.

"He believes in monsters and ghosts, Samantha," Leo added. "The leap from those to believing in "magic cookies" isn't that large at all."

"We've gotta open them with Sammy at least once! Please?" Mikey pleaded, clasping his hands under his chin, making his eyes rounder and pouting. The puppy dog face. Samantha knew it all too well. She'd used it countless times to escape punishment or to get her way, but she'd never had it used on her before. Her resolve was gone before she knew it. _Now I know how Yoshi and Uncle Kenji felt when I used it on them_! she thought to herself.

"Well…OK. Just this one time," Sam surrendered. Mikey's face lit up like a menorah as he handed a cookie to each of his siblings and then Samantha.

"OK. On three, we open them together," Mikey instructed, bouncing up and down like a kid that'd eaten too much candy. "One…two…" His brothers simply tore into their cookies before Mikey gave the signal. Sam smiled and tore into her cookie along with a defeated-looking Michelangelo. Pulling the slip of paper from the broken cookie, she read silently: _"One who admires you greatly is hidden before your eyes."_

"OK! I got: _"There is a true and sincere friendship between you and your friends." _Awesome!" Mikey cheered, punching a fist in the air.

"Mine says, "_Your everlasting patience will be rewarded sooner or later."_ I doubt that!" Leo chuckled.

"What does yours say, Raph? "_Plastic surgery is in your immediate future?"_" Mikey teased.

"Nope. Mine says, "_You will have a very pleasant experience."" _Raph replied, before he smacked Mikey in the head and then laughed. "Maybe these things **do** predict the future after all!" Don looked down at the kitchen floor, hiding his reddened cheeks. Unfortunately, Mikey seemed to have a sixth sense for embarrassment and snatched the tiny slip of paper out of Don's hand before his brother could whip his head up.

"_A secret admirer will soon send you a sign of affection,"_ Mikey read aloud. The goofball turtle's eyes lit up mischievously as his two, older brothers smirked at the blushing, tech-savvy turtle.

"Oooo! Donny has a secret admirer!" Mikey teased. "And she's gonna send him a sign of affection! Maybe a nice, big kiss!" He wrapped his arms around his shell and made kissing noises like he was making out with someone. "Oh, Donatello! I love you soooo much!" he said in a high-pitched voice, pretending to be a girl.

"Good grief!"muttered Leo, covering his eyes with one hand. Raph simply chuckled. Samantha stared at the countertop.

"Get a grip!" Don snapped, turning the same shade of red as Raph's mask.

"Anyways, what does **yours** say, Sammy?" Mikey questioned.

"Mine? Oh. Umm...here we go. "_Great riches and fame await you."_ Cool!"

"Ah man! Why do **you** get the really cool future?" Mikey asked, pouting.

"Don't worry, Mikey," Sam laughed. "When I'm rich, I'll buy ya a new comic book. Heck, I'll buy you 20 of them!"

"YYYYYIIIIIPPPPEEEE!" Mikey hollered, dancing for joy.

"You should **not **have said that, Princess!" Raph told her, shaking his head. And as she watched Leo and Don give her looks of sympathy, she may as well have just signed a pact with the devil.

* * *

It was almost 3 o'clock in the morning when Samantha stood on her balcony, looking out over the garden. She was in a thin, black tank top and pajama shorts with a black robe thrown over her sleepwear. Her hair was loose about her shoulders. Although the sight of the garden was calming, it still didn't ease her mind from the big decision she'd have to make. She realized now that two-timing was **not** an option and cursed herself for even considering it. Two-timing wasn't in her nature. It never had been. So, she had to choose. But between Leo and Don, who would she choose? And how would she deal with a broken-hearted turtle?

"This is not going to be easy," she said aloud to herself.

"I know the feeling," a voice said behind her. She quickly did a back flip and landed a swift eagle's strike attack that floored the unlucky intruder on the floor. Bare foot on his chest, she looked down and immediately recognized the purple bandana around his eyes.

"Don! Don't sneak up on a girl like that!" she scolded. She held out a hand to him, but he leapt to his feet unaided.

"Sorry! I didn't think you were going to attack me!"

"Well, since I've been acting more like a freakin' damsel than a ninja princess lately, my guard's been up. And I've started training again."

"Lucky for you. But bad luck for the people who cross you."

"And the mutant ninja turtles who sneak up on me in the dead of night. So, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"I…I just wanted to check up on you. You know, see if you needed anything." She smiled.

"That's extremely sweet, Donatello. I'm fine, though. Thanks for asking. How are you? The others aren't giving you a hard time after that little…_incident_ in the kitchen, are they?"

"Nothing that I can't handle. If I've put up with their teasing for sixteen years, I can stick it out for at least a few more."

"That's good. I don't mean the teasing, just so you know. Not that teasing's bad. I mean, it is. I mean…"

"Don't worry Samantha," Don chuckled, putting his hands on her almost-bare shoulders. "I get it." Seeing her cheeks turning red amused him. "Maybe I should do this more often," he muttered, smiling. Her cheeks were practically aflame with heat when he said that.

"I don't think Leo would approve," Samantha giggled. Then, she saw Don's facial expression turn grim and he removed his hands from her shoulders. "Don, I didn't mean it like that. I meant…"

"I know what you meant, Sam. And that's another thing I need to talk to you about. I…I think you should go with Leo. You know, be his girlfriend."

"What? Why?"

"Look at him, Sam! He's everything a girl like you could hope for in a guy! He's stronger than me, so he can protect you a lot better than I can. He's smart, he's the leader, he's reasonably attractive, no homo intended (Sam snorted a laugh), and his personality is amazing. Just like yours. I really do like you a lot, Samantha. I've never felt this way about another creature in my entire existence. You deserve the best, Samantha Bushido. That's the only thing I want for you, but that's also something I'll never be able to be for you."

Samantha was silent. How could Donatello think this way? Didn't he see how incredible and amazing he was? So what if Leo was a cute, smart leader? He wasn't a cute supercomputer slash hacker with a 746 IQ and sweeter than all the candy in the world combined. Don was. She hadn't recommended Leo for that job in her uncle's company. She'd recommended Don. Just then, the words of the fortune cookie came back to her: _"One who admires you greatly is hidden before your eyes."_ Donatello. He'd been hiding in front of her eyes this whole time. He admired her a lot. He wanted her. But he was also willing to give up his chance with her just to keep her safe. No other guy would ever have said those words to her. He'd laid his heart bare and was willing to take the chance at being rejected to tell her all this.

"Well…goodnight, Sam." Don turned and began to walk away from her.

"Do you **always** leave without kissing your girlfriend goodnight, Donatello?" Samantha asked playfully. "Or is this a new tradition between us?" Donatello whipped around, hardly believing the words he'd heard coming from Samantha's lips.

"What?"

"You heard me, my turtle genius." She walked towards him, seized his wrist and pulled him back out onto the balcony and against her body, wrapping her arms around his neck. He hesitated, but then wrapped his around her waist. "I don't care if you're not the kind of person who's the leader of the pack. I don't care if Leo's stronger and more skilled than you. You are, without a shadow of a doubt, the sweetest, cutest and most intelligent creature I've ever met. And I'm not about to let you put yourself down because you think you're not good enough for me. You're more than good enough for me. I'm not choosing Leo, Donatello. I'm choosing **you**. You and **only** you."

"You really mean it?"

"Yes! I told you a while ago that I liked you a lot. Now…I think it's time I acted on those feelings."

"Past time I'd say, my young tiger."

"Well, as they say: "Better late than never.""

"Right. But, Samantha! You have **no** idea how happy I feel! To finally be able to hold the girl I've been longing for in my arms, to be able to confess my feelings for her after all this time is just so…" He was cut off by a finger to his lips.

"Donatello. I think you should stop talking. **Right. Now.**"

"Huh? But why? What did I d-…?" He was again cut off when Samantha moved her finger from his lips and kissed him full on the mouth. It took less than a minute for him to respond in turn, kissing her with increasing passion as he gripped her waist, as her hands moved from around his neck to explore his plastron and shell. He tangled his fingers in her hair and their tongues battled with one another. Samantha felt her entire body flooding with heat. She'd never had a boyfriend before, had never even been kissed before tonight. But, damn! She'd been missing out on a lot! Finally, before he lost consciousness from a lack of air, Don pulled back, panting heavily. Samantha stumbled back as well. When they'd both caught their breath, Don smiled at her, a loving glint radiating from him even though she couldn't see his eyes.

"Hm. Not bad…for a rookie," he teased.

"Well, **this **rookie was good enough to make you breathe harder," Samantha shot back proudly, hands on her hips.

"Good point. So, what are you going to do now, _mon jeune tigre_?" He was never going to quit calling her his "young tiger", even if he spoke in French.

"Well, since I can't really sleep, I was thinking that me and my new boyfriend could sit out here and talk. You know, get to know each other better. What do you think my turtle genius?"

"**I** think that it's a brilliant idea." Taking her warm hand in his, he led her over to the chair swing and sat down, pulling her down beside him. Hands entwined, she rested her head against his shoulder and he rested his head on hers. His arm wrapped around her and pulled her closer to him as he reveled in his victory of having finally won the girl he loved more than life itself.

"OK. What are your favorite colors?" Donatello asked.

"I like red, royal blue, emerald-green, and gold," Sam answered.

"Hey! No purple?" Don asked in mock hurt, gesturing to his mask. Sam grinned and placed her hand on his plastron.

"Oh darn! **How **could I forget purple? It's one of my ultimate favorites!" Sam replied in mock shock. Don smiled. "What about you?" she asked him.

"Purple, gold, silver, some shades of green and black. Your favorite book?"

"_Sense and Sensibility _by Jane Austen. You?"

"_The Count of Monte Cristo_ by Alexandre Dumas. Favorite television show?"

"_Law and Order: Special Victims Unit_."

"_Star Trek: The Original Series. _Favorite takeout food?"

"General Tao chicken with steamed rice and grilled vegetables. You?"

"Chicken fried rice mixed with shrimp. OK. What's your middle name?"

"C'mon, Donny! Ask me **anything** but that!"

"Now you've just made me more curious!"

"C'mon, Donny!"

"Why can't I know my girlfriend's middle name?"

"Fine. I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours?"

"Deal."

"Tiffany. My middle name's Tiffany."

"Why were you so scared to tell me that? Tiffany's an amazing and beautiful middle name. It suits you."

"Thanks. Your turn, my turtle genius."

"OK. Promise not to laugh?"

"Promise. Now tell me!"

"Lucius. My middle name's Lucius."

"You mean like Draco Malfoy's father's name in _Harry Potter_?"

"Exactly."

"Wow. That's pretty…cool. Donatello Lucius…what's your last name?"

"Hamato."

"Donatello Lucius Hamato. I like it. It sounds…_sexy_."

"Not as sexy as Samantha Tiffany Bushido."

"I know. But it comes close. OK. Umm…favorite genre or genres of music?"

"Classical. I also dabble in a little bit of Hip-hop. You?"

"Pop and R & B. The Pop Princess and the Classical Mutant Ninja Turtle. Not a bad match!"

"Yeah. Um…Samantha?"

"Yes, Donny?"

"There's…um…something else I want to ask you. Something…personal."

"Um…alright. What is it?"

"What's the truth about your Amulet, Samantha? I know a little bit about the _tengu_ and the Amulet as two, separate entities, but not of how they came together." He saw Samantha's face immediately freeze as her eyes widened with horror and her hands moved from his plastron to almost unconsciously touch the smooth gold of the Amulet which hung around her neck.

"I…I made a promise that I wouldn't reveal the story of this Amulet or the creature that lives within it until the time was right."

"But Samantha, you've already had two, major possessions by the _tengu_ that nearly got you killed! If you keep up this secrecy thing, we can't protect you! Samantha, please! I know this sounds harsh, but Raph wasn't wrong when he said that your word will mean nothing when you're dead. And the thought of you dead literally tears me to shreds. _Chérie, votre sécurité et votre bonheur sont tous que je veuille pour vous." Darling, your safety and your happiness are all that I want for you._

"If I tell you the whole story, you have to swear on Splinter's unmarked grave that you won't tell your brothers."

"Samantha, I hate keeping secrets from them. I don't know if I can."

"Please, my turtle genius? I can sense that you won't have to keep it for long. Please? For me?"

"I…well I should really…I don't know if…alright, fine. I won't tell them."

"_Swear _it!"

"I swear on Master Splinter's unmarked grave that I won't tell my brothers about what you're going to tell me about the _tengu_ and the Amulet."

"Thank you. Alright. What do you wanna know?"

"**Everything**. Start from the beginning."

"OK. It's a pretty long and complex tale filled with twisted loyalties, broken promises, and death. But since you want to know the truth, my turtle genius, it all started like this…"

**So, it's done. Samantha and Donatello are together! Yay! I'm actually really happy because this was the way I'd been planning it from the beginning! So...cliffhanger! I needed to add some suspense so you guys will wanna read more. So, will we finally get the _whole_ story of the _tengu_ and Samantha's Amulet? And when will the others find out that Sam and Don are officially together? You'll just have to wait and find out in the coming chapters! Anyways, please review as always as you know how crucial they are to feeding my creativity. P.S.-To all of you who were rooting for Leo to win Samantha's heart, please don't abandon my story! I have someone else in mind for our Fearless leader, so don't worry. Anyways, time for me to go to bed, so goodnight my loyal readers!And review please, starting...now!**


	20. Chapter 20

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**First, shout-outs to my fabulous reviewers: Edelweiss Roses, BubblyShell22, IceColdFever, snow299 and pokemonjkl! You guys are great. So, reviews keep me going guys, so tell all your readers and friends about this story when you can! Anyways, on with the story!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!  
**

Chapter Twenty

"My father was a great warrior in Japan," Samantha told Don. "He was trained by his own father when he was a small boy. It is said that there was no other warrior before or after Bushido who matched him in skill, strength, agility or dedication to honor. Then, when he was sixteen years old, he was chosen by a group of the most elite warriors in the land to help them defeat one of their own who had turned to the dark side."

"Geez, Sam. _Star Wars_ much?" Don teased.

"Anyways, when the five had defeated their lost brother, they entombed him and placed his helmet and gauntlet in separate locations far away from each other, keeping the body in a vault and the demon that turned him banished to the underworld. He was henceforth known as The Great Evil. My father joined their ranks as a replacement for their fallen brother. But after a while, my father became tired of watching clans fight one another. He helped unite the feuding clans under the banner of the first emperor of the Empire of Japan. He trained soldiers for the country in the art of battle. My father was highly regarded by all the emperors who ruled Japan, especially Emperor Shōwa. He became the emperor's closest ally and was invited to attend many tea parties and eloquent events with His Majesty. It was at one of these tea parties in Kyoto in 1960 that he met my mother, who was an apprentice geisha at the time. Needless to say, he fell in love with her and was desperate to have her. He was not her _mizuage _patron, but…um…you do know what a _mizuage_ is, right Don?"

"Yeah," Don replied, grimacing. "It was where selected men chosen by the geisha or their mistresses would gather in a teahouse and place bids to see who would win the geisha's…virginity. The man who did became her _mizuage_ patron and would…deflower her. The sums collected were often used to support the geisha's debut. It symbolized her coming of age, her transition from a girl to a woman."

"You really **are** a turtle genius," Samantha giggled, pressing her lips to Don's. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her back. He felt his brain whirring as his hands moved from her face to grasp her shoulders and pull her closer to him. Her hands were on his plastron, and he could feel the warmth of her palms and fingers as they traced over it. He moaned and then pulled away, breathing heavily.

"Maybe we should stop the story right here," Sam whispered, leaning towards Don. He put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed back. She was stunned, but quickly recovered when she saw him smiling.

"Nice try, baby. Keep going. Trust me. We'll have more than enough time to continue what we just started."

"Alright. Well, my father, knowing that he loved my mother dearly, inquired after her mistress about becoming her _danna, _husband in Japanese. Since my mother had turned her collar, she was now eligible to have a _danna. _And, with my father's connections and lineage, a large fee was paid and my father now possessed the woman he loved dearly. They were married shortly after, in a small temple in Kyoto, where she had grown up. The emperor made my father a baron and set apart land in western Japan for him to use to his pleasure. He built a fine palace for my mother and himself and then built a school in the hills where he would train selected children from all over the country in the art of ninjitsu. My mother became pregnant with me, and I was born October 16, 1987. However, my birth came with a price. My mother died a few hours later from a clot that had formed and then burst. My father never recovered from the loss of his beloved and ordered all her pictures and portraits to be destroyed."

"I'm so sorry, Samantha. But wait a minute. You said that your father helped unite the clans under the banner of the first emperor of Japan, right?"

"Yes."

"Emperor Meiji was the first emperor of the Empire of Japan…in…1867. Samantha. That would've made your father…ninety-three years old when he met your mother and a hundred and twenty years old when you were born. How…how is that possible?"

"You've no doubt heard of the legends of the Fountain of Youth?"

"Of course. People have searched every corner of the globe looking for it. Its pure waters are said to keep whoever drinks from it young and fit. Wait a second. You're not saying…!"

"My father sent an expedition to the mountains close to his palace. They brought back water which they said came from the gods. He drank it and every day, the villagers would remark how young and vibrant my father looked, and how he never seemed to age. That is how he came to discover that the waters were in fact the waters of the Fountain of Youth. And every year, my father would send them back to the fountain to bring back the water. And he would drink from it and never get old."

"OK. So, Bushido uses the waters of the Fountain of Youth to keep himself young. Why?"

"Well, when I was old enough to understand these things, Yoshi told me it was because my father loved teaching his students the art of ninjitsu more than anything else in the world. And the thought of dying and leaving them was unbearable in his mind."

"OK. So, what does this have to do with the Amulet and the _tengu_?"

"You said you wanted to know everything from the beginning, Donatello Lucius. So, I'm telling you everything."

"_Don't_ ever call me that again, Samantha Tiffany! Second, I meant everything to do with the Amulet and Mr. Demon."

"Alright. Alright. But isn't it customary for a girlfriend to tell her boyfriend about her parents?"

"Yes. But it's also customary for a boyfriend to protect his girlfriend from any and all evil! Especially one that's living in a piece of her jewelry!"

"OK. So, when the emperor gave my father land in western Japan, he also sent his most trusted mystic, Lin-Dai Sin and his young apprentice, Yoshi, to my father. A mystic has the ability to communicate with not only spirits, but also with the gods. They have foresight and other magical powers such as teleportation and levitation."

"Sounds awesome! I was **I** was a mystic! But I read that Lin-Dai Sin made the Amulet for your father."

"Yes. But no one knew Lin-Dai Sin was a descendent of The Great Evil and wanted revenge for his ancestor. He called upon the _tengu_ who had caused the Great Evil to turn and promised it revenge on the Heads for separating it from his master. The demon agreed to go inside the Amulet and possess whoever wore it, using their body as a host until it was summoned by its master again. Lin-Dai swore his apprentice to secrecy as he could see that Yoshi loved my father and me and would tell them in a heartbeat. Then, he suggested that my father host a huge celebration to celebrate my birth. It was only two months after the death of my mother, but somehow, Lin-Dai Sin convinced my father to do it. My father invited all his friends to come from all over, and it was there at the ceremony that Lin-Dai placed the Amulet around my neck.

Suddenly, the Amulet began to glow and a holographic vision of the _tengu_ appeared. It declared that it would possess my body and reunite with its master when the time was right. My father was livid. It didn't take him long to discover Lin-Dai's treachery. He commanded Yoshi to transform Lin-Dai into a fire creature that would serve The Great Evil and then banished the accursed mystic from the palace forever. He ordered Yoshi to learn as much as he could about this _tengu_. Yoshi learned from his summoning of the Gatekeeper of the Spirit World that this _tengu_ possessed unspeakable powers since it was a part of The Great Evil while its companions were merely minions. It had control over the four elements, teleportation abilities, dominion over all the other _tengu _and regenerative powers. It could also change its wearer into something else, be it animal, plant or even just to change their garments. It could also only possess the body of its host in a state of great rage. So, my father taught me various methods of calming and controlling my anger."

"But then, if that's true, why have you been having these _tengu_ mini-possessions?"

"It's that ninja symbol that those ninjas wear. It's _his_ mark. The Great Evil. And it was him who murdered my father."

"What? I…I've never read about Bushido being **murdered**!"

"That's because, as his daughter, I ordered it to be kept from the records. He was killed almost five years ago by Oroku Saki. He also goes by the name The Shredder."

"Gee. **He **sounds like a nice guy!" Don commented, the sarcasm very evident in his voice.

"It happened at my father's ninja academy. The Shredder wanted the Amulet and information on his enemies. His soldiers attacked the students while Shredder and my father fought. He was strong and skilled, but they used their dishonorable tricks to bring him to his knees. I tried to help him, but that huge, blond man we ran into a few weeks ago just picked me up and threw me into a lamp stand. It fell and the academy caught on fire. Shredder was standing over my father, his claw raised. He demanded to know where the Amulet was. It was then my father turned his head and looked at me, his eyes telling me that no matter what happened to him, I wasn't to let this monster get his hands on it. I watched as my father stared Shredder right in the eye and told him, "You may destroy my body, Oroku Saki…but you will **never** destroy my warrior's spirit!" he declared boldly. "I die, yes, but I die as a Bushido! With honor!" Then, the Shredder's claw came down and pierced my father's heart. I was only twelve years old, but I watched my father's life ebb away, as Shredder simply glanced at the claw on his gauntlet stained with my father's blood, and then leave as if he hadn't just slain a man in cold blood in front of his own child. Yoshi and a few of the students managed to get me and my father's body out of there. We buried him three days later beside my mother."

"Samantha, I…I don't know what to say. "Sorry" wouldn't be enough to cover it," Don whispered, kissing her forehead gently. "But I **am** sorry that you saw your father murdered right in front of you. And so violently, too."

"Yeah, well…It feels kinda nice to get all of this off my chest," Samantha confessed. Then, she looked up at him. "Especially when I'm telling it to someone who cares about me. But Don, there's a reason why I'm in New York City."

"OK. Why is that?"

"Because that group of elite warriors that my father fought with have chosen your brother Leonardo to keep this Amulet and me safe from The Great Evil."

"But if The Great Evil's dead, then why does Leo need to protect you?"

"I don't know. They never told me. But they haven't been wrong so far."

"See?" Don said in frustration, standing up and throwing his hands in the air. "Yet **another** good reason why Leo should be your boyfriend! If a bunch of elite warriors in Japan think he's good enough to protect you from some "Ultimate Evil", then…!" Don was cut off by Samantha's finger on his lips.

"I said they haven't been wrong so far. I didn't say they were incapable of error. And for the record, Leo might be my Protector, but I'm pretty damn sure he can't kiss me like you do, my turtle genius." Before Don could say another word, Sam's lips were attacking his. He responded, kissing her back and shoving his tongue into her mouth, engaging in a sweet battle with hers, which she won. She seized his wrist and pulled him back into her room, allowing him to back her towards her bed. Pushing aside the canopy curtains, she fell backwards onto the mattress, dragging the techno turtle down on top of her. Don felt his primal instincts kicking in stronger than ever as he kissed her. They were screaming at him to take her, make her his own. And as he felt her hands tracing over his plastron and shell, the urge only got stronger. Neither of them heard the door creak open or saw Michelangelo walk in.

"Hey, Sammy! I just wanted to see if you…OH MY GOD! MY EYES!" Mikey screamed, his hands slapping across his eyes. Don turned and looked at his brother while Samantha peered over his shoulder at Mikey.

"Mikey! Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Don scolded. Just then, the sound of people running filled Sam's ears.

"Mikey! What's wrong? We heard you scream and…!" Leo began to say, but then his eyes landed on his brother and Samantha. Samantha gently pushed Don away and sat up, looking into Leo's eyes. She thought she saw a tear form, but then he turned and stormed off without another word. Samantha felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She'd wanted to tell Leonardo in the morning about her and Don. She hadn't wanted him to find out this way.

"Whoa, Brainiac! You're a fast worker!" Raph chuckled. Samantha hadn't even noticed him appear, but he must've come with Leo.

"**So** not the time, Raph!" Don hissed, jerking his head at Samantha.

"I have to talk to him!" she said, sliding off the bed and heading for the door. Mikey grabbed her arm and held her fast.

"Probably **not** the best thing to do right now, dudette," Mikey said, cringing. "Just let him calm down first. Talk to him in the morning."

"Yeah. Let 'im do some meditation or whatever he does to cool off first," Raph seconded. "Get his anger out and then just talk to him in the morning."

"But what if he never speaks to me again?" Samantha asked, worried.

"Den he's a bigger idiot than Mikey!" Raph shot back.

"Hey!" Mikey snapped.

"Look, if he's stupid enough to let you and Donny being together spoil whatever friendship you two have, den he ain't a very good friend," Raph continued. "But I know Leo. And lemme tell ya dis: he cares about you guys' friendship a lot, Princess. So quit worrying. You'll be fine. It'll just take a little gettin' used to."

"Wow, Hothead. Who knew you could give such good advice?"

"Well, I may not be Mr. Turtle Einstein over dere, but I still know a thing or two, Princess."

"So, can I come to you for advice sometime?"

"Once or twice a year." Then seeing the look she gave him, he snapped, "What do I look like? Yer therapist?"

"OK. OK. Once or twice a year," Samantha giggled before she became serious. "And what about you two? Are you alright with me and Don…?"

"Doesn't bother me at all, Princess," Raph answered curtly. "In fact, it's 'bout time you two got together!"

"Yeah. Like, **finally!**" Mikey exclaimed, scooping Sam into a hug. "As long as you two aren't making out all over the place, you've got no problems with me!" Samantha turned red and smacked Mikey in the head.

"Now, we'll let you guys be alone," Raph said, smirking at Don. "Don't do anything **I** wouldn't do, Brainiac!"

"Raph! What **wouldn't** you do?" Don scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Dat's the point," Raph replied, the smirk on his face getting larger.

"Have fun, you two," Mikey chuckled before following Raph out of the room and shutting the door closed behind him.

"Finally, they're gone. So…where were we?" Don asked, smiling and walking over to embrace his girlfriend. He leaned in to kiss her, but Samantha pulled away.

"Donny, I'm kinda tired. Can we reschedule this for another time?" she questioned. She didn't say it, but the worry she was feeling about her status with Leo was written all over her face. Don smiled and nodded. Then, he picked her up bridal style and carried her to her bed. Laying her down gently, he covered her with the sheets. He was just leaning in to kiss her forehead when she grabbed his face and pulled his lips down to hers. Desire bubbled up once again as he kissed her. He felt strangely colder when he broke away from her.

"Goodnight, my turtle genius."

"Goodnight, my young tiger. _Je t'aime._" With that, he smiled and walked towards the door. A moment later, the lights were off and Samantha heard the door open and then close softly. The young woman settled down against her pillow. And even though part of her was still worried about Leo, the last words Don had spoken to her rang through her head like the melodious pealing of a church bell.

_Je t'aime. _ _I love you._

**Aww! *jumps up and down*. That is so cute! Anyways, poor Leo! But like I said before, I've got someone in mind for him, so don't worry. And the Shredder's coming back! Will he succeed at getting the Amulet and Samantha? Will Leo and Sam's friendship survive now that he's seen her and Don together? Stay tuned to find out! So, reviews please! Starting...now!  
**


	21. Chapter 21

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Two updates in one day! Aren't you guys just the luckiest bunch around! This chapter and the next couple of chapters will surround episode 10 of season 1: The Shredder Strikes, parts 1 and 2...with my own little twists and turns. On with the story!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**_  
_

Chapter Twenty-One

Samantha woke up feeling a little tired still. Yawning and stretching, she rolled onto her side and looked at the alarm clock beside her bed. 10:30 a.m. Six and a half hours of sleep. Well, that was better than no sleep at all. Sitting up and rubbing the tiredness from her eyes, she stretched and yawned again.

"I wonder if the others are up yet," she thought aloud to herself.

"Being ninjas, we're up at the crack of dawn, Samantha," said an all-too familiar voice. Sam whipped her head towards the balcony doors and saw Leonardo standing there, arms crossed over his plastron.

"Leo! Uh…did you sleep well?" Samantha asked, sliding out from under the covers and slipping her feet into a pair of black slippers.

"Yeah. Fine." He looked down at the floor while Samantha shifted from one slipper-covered foot to the other.

"We need to talk!" they both blurted at the same time. Leo's head whipped up as he looked at her.

"Look, Leo. I was planning to you this morning about me and Don…but I guess last night said it all, huh?"

"Well, I admit I was shocked to see you with my brother. And I…I guess I was just upset that you chose him over me."

"Doesn't happen very often, does it?"

"Yeah. But now that I've meditated on this and slept, I can see that I was acting like a jerk and a spoilt child when I stormed off like that. I mean, I like you a lot, Samantha. I guess I just couldn't deal with the rejection. But I'm over it now. And…well, I hope you two are happy together. You deserve it." He turned to go.

"Leo, wait!" He turned back.

"Are we still…friends?"

"Of course we are, Samantha. And I'll always have your back."

"Thanks. And even though Don and I are together, it doesn't mean that you matter any less to me. You'll **always** be my Fearless leader, Hamato Leonardo. Remember that." He smiled, the stress of a night of meditation and soul-searching melting away in the warmth of her smile.

"Thanks. Now, could you tell us where the dojo is? I think some weapons practice will wake up the others in no time."

"It's just off the den. There's a red door in the wall beside the big-screen TV. Go through that and you're inside the Dojo of Doom!"

"You've honestly been hanging around Mikey too much, Samantha!" Leo chuckled.

"Maybe," Samantha admitted, smiling cheekily.

"Would you like to join us?"

"It'd be **your** honor."

"Nicely done, Samantha. I'll leave you to get ready to get your butt kicked," Leo teased.

"Don't be so sure about that, my Fearless leader," she purred, smirking. "I just might wax your sorry shell all over that dojo floor."

"In your dreams, Samantha!"

"We'll see, Tough Guy! Now, I'm gonna grab a shower. Don't start weapons practice without me!"

"Will do…Princess."

"Hey! Only Raph's allowed to call me that!"

"Sorry, _Princess_!" Leo could see that she was irked, but he didn't care. Teasing her was fun and took his mind off of the pain in his heart that his amazing girl would never be his now.

"That **does** it, Hamato Leonardo! You are **so** dead!"

"Bring it on…_Princess_!"

"**Leonardo…!**" He chuckled and quickly went to go and find the others, leaving a very irritated Samantha to go shower, change and plot her revenge.

* * *

"When's Sammy gonna get here?" Mikey whined to Don as the two sat on the edge of the Dojo, watching Leo and Raph spar. Raph had thrown down the challenge, and since Samantha had yet to show, Leo had accepted.

"For the millionth time, Mikey, I don't know!" Don snapped in frustration. "Leo told us she'd be here in time for weapons' practice, but maybe she went back to sleep. She went to bed pretty late."

"And what exactly were you two doing to make her go to bed so late, Donny?" Mikey asked, smirking. Don's face immediately reddened.

"Get a grip, Mikey!" Don snapped. "I just started dating the girl! **That** has not even crossed my mind yet! Plus, there's a procedure to follow in relationships, FYI."

"Didn't look that way last night, Turtle Einstein!" Mikey teased, causing Don's blush to deepen. "From what I saw, you were ready to throw procedure out her bedroom window!"

"Shut up!" Don snapped again, whacking Mikey in the head with his Bo staff.

"OW! Alright! But what if she's not sleeping? What if she was abducted?"

"Get a grip, chucklehead! She's fine. Maybe she had to do something first. She does have a huge test coming up."

"Aw, man!" Mikey groaned. "And I was really hoping to see her kick Leo's butt! You know how cocky he gets when it comes to who's got the ultimate ninja weapons!"

"You know it," Don replied. "I wish she was here, too, Mikey."

"Be careful what you wish for, boys!" warned a voice playfully. The two turtles turned and saw Samantha standing a few feet away, dressed in a royal-blue jumpsuit, hair tied up in a ponytail. Her wakizashi was strapped to her back.

"Sammy!" Mikey cried, rushing at her and grabbing her up in his arms, much to Don's chagrin.

"OK, Mikey! It's good to see you too!" she laughed as the mutant turtle put her down on her feet again. She smiled and walked over to Don, throwing her arms around him. He hugged her back, feeling that all-too-familiar warmth flooding through his body.

"Did you sleep well, my turtle genius?" she whispered. Unfortunately, it wasn't low enough to escape Mikey's owl-like hearing.

"My turtle genius?" Mikey repeated, a smirk coming onto his face.

"Michelangelo!" Don growled. But Mikey leapt out of Don's Bo staff's range and continued smirking and mouthing _my turtle genius_ to the couple.

"Don't worry, Don," Samantha said, putting a hand on his chest and holding him back. "We'll whoop his shell during weapons practice." Just then, Raphael landed hard at their feet.

"Decided to join us common mutants for a little sparring today, Princess?" Raph teased. Samantha smirked. Raphael had been calling her "Princess" from the first time she'd come over, and she'd always called him "Hothead".

"I wouldn't miss an opportunity to kick your butt for the world, Hothead," she replied, her hand reaching up to touch the hilt of her wakizashi.

"It's not **his** butt you need to worry about kicking, Samantha," Leo advised, smirking slightly. He dusted off his hands as Raphael leapt back up to his feet.

"Hm. So, Fearless has a bit of an ego," she observed, her eyes dancing. "I'm gonna have to fix that." _God, she's so hot when she does that!_ Leo thought to himself. But he couldn't let that show on his face.

"Bring it!" he threw back, taking out his twin katana. Samantha drew out her own sword. From the corner of her eye, she could see the others doing the same. All five began sparring. Samantha had to admit that the Turtles were skilled. But not as skilled as she was. She'd managed to trip up Raph and Mikey countless times, and had launched a lightning-fast counterattack on Don's attempted attack on her. Leonardo was proving to be a bit more difficult to combat against since he could almost predict all her moves. _Almost_, because she'd managed to do a phoenix aerial attack move and knock him flat on his shell.

"Ya know what the best part of weapons' practice is?" Raph asked, holding up his sais. "The weapons." Just then, a nunchuck lassoed around it, and Raph was pulled to the ground.

"HA. Too bad you're stuck with those lame toothpicks, Raph, and not a **real** weapon like the nunchuck," Mikey teased before Don sent him tripping to the ground with a hit from his staff.

"Sorry, Mikey. But the Bo staff is where it's at!" Don chuckled.

"Boys! Put away the toys!" Leo declared, brandishing both katana. "Double katana is the only way to play!" He leapt into the air, and Samantha managed to dodge the initial hit that took out Mikey. She watched as Leo defeated both Don and Raph in a matter of seconds before turning to her. Smiling, she held her wakizashi in a parallel position.

"So now, it's just you and me, Samantha," he said, smiling.

"Katana may be a good weapon, Leonardo," Samantha informed him as they began to circle. "But there's a reason the samurai chose the wakizashi over the katana: the wakizashi is the superior weapon, my friend."

"We'll see," Leo chuckled.

"Dis is gonna be good," Raph said, smirking.

"Go Sammy!" Mikey cheered. "Kick his shell!"

"You can do it, Samantha!" Don yelled.

Samantha came in hard and fast for an attack and Leo managed to dodge it at the last second. She whipped around and gripped the hilt of her sword tighter. Both of them leapt into the air, blocking the other's attack. They landed on opposing ends of the dojo before both flipping into the air and landing in the center. Metal clashed with metal as the two sparred fiercely. As the fight wore on, Samantha was now beginning to understand why the Heads had chosen Leonardo as her Protector. His skills were almost as good as hers. A few times, he'd come close to defeating her, but she was fast on her feet.

"Alright. Enough playing around," Samantha muttered to herself. Running at a column, she jumped and pushed off the column, soared over Leo's head and as she turned in the air, kicked him hard in the shell. It sent him flying into the column and his swords flying to opposite ends of the dojo. She landed like a cat, sword held high in a parallel position.

"Whoa! That was Wrath of the Phoenix!" Raph breathed, recognizing the move Samantha had just executed. "Amazing!"

"Ladies and turtles, I give you, Samantha the Mighty!" Mikey cheered as Sam stood and Raph went to go help Leo up.

"That is **so** lame, Mikey!" Don laughed, hugging his girlfriend. "A kiss for the winner?" he inquired. She smiled and her eyes twinkled with that mischievous light he loved. Gently, he bent his head and kissed her.

"Get a room!" Mikey moaned, covering his eyes. Sam broke away from Don and giggled. She looked over and saw that Leo was gone and Raph was muttering angrily under his breath.

"Raph, what happened?" Samantha asked, going over to him.

"Fearless nearly lost it when he saw you and Donny here locking lips," Raph told her bluntly. "He grabbed his swords and muttered something about getting fresh air."

"So much for being over it," Samantha murmured. "I'd better go talk to him."

"I'd wait 'til his temper's cooled, Princess," Raph advised. "He's likely to hack yer head off with his katana if ya go near him. Don't worry. He'll get over it."

"Thanks, Raph." Then, she smiled. "Shoot! There goes my second session!"

"And don't ya forget it! I'm countin' the 365 days until yer next one starting now, Princess!"

* * *

Samantha was just walking past Mikey's room to see if Leo had returned when she saw him sitting on his bed, reading a piece of paper.

"Leo?" He jumped about a foot in the air and quickly shoved the paper under his pillow.

"Samantha! Uh…what're you doing here?"

"Um, besides the fact that I live here, I just wanted to check up on you. You know, after what happened in the dojo this morning."

"Oh, that? Don't worry. I guess I wasn't as over it as I'd thought. But I'm OK now. I just needed some fresh air is all. Besides, I'll kick your butt next time."

"Sure you will. What was that paper I saw you reading?"

"Oh that? Nothing. Nothing at all. Just a scrap that I found outside written in gibberish."

"Well maybe I could look at it and…"

"NO!" Seeing her eyebrows furrow, he lowered his voice. "I mean…that's OK. I can figure it out on my own. Now, I'm gonna do some meditation, Samantha**. Alone.** I'll see ya later." Samantha took that as her dismissal and promptly left his room. She knocked on Don's door across the hall.

"It's open!" Don called from the other side. Samantha stepped in and saw Don watching re-runs of _Star trek _on the TV. He sat up immediately when he saw her.

"Hey," he greeted. Then, he saw the look on her face. "Looks like someone just took your prey from your mouth, my young tiger. What's wrong?" In no time at all, Samantha was explaining what had just happened in Leo's room, including the mysterious paper she'd seen him reading.

"Don't worry, Samantha," Don reassured her. "I'll tell Raph to keep a lookout and tell us if Leo decides to suddenly take off. Now, go study. It won't help Leo if you fail that big test."

"Alright." Going back to her room, Samantha took Donatello's advice and studied her psychology notes and readings. Meanwhile, in his room, Leonardo, holding the paper in his hands once more, was waiting for darkness to fall.

* * *

"Leo's been up in his room all day," Mikey told Don and Sam as they stood in the kitchen looking over various takeout menus.

"He'll come down sooner or later," Don replied. "And if he goes rogue turtle, Raph will call down and let us know. Now, what are we having for dinner? I'm hungry!"

"Wow. And you guys accuse **me** of hanging around Mikey too much!" Samantha teased.

"Hey! It's never a bad thing to kick it with the Mikester!" Mikey admonished. "You'll learn a thing or two!"

"Now **that** would be amazing," Don muttered to Sam, sending both of them into fits of giggling. Mikey scowled.

"Oh, HA HA, Mr. and Mrs. Brainiac!"

"Anyways, let's go with Cajun food. I want fried chicken and Cajun fries! Can you say Popeye's?" Mikey suggested, licking his lips and rubbing his stomach.

"No way! Let's go with something exotic. Like…Thai food!" Don countered.

"How about we get a little of everything?" Samantha jumped in. "Cajun for Mikey, Thai for Don and I, and whatever Raph and Leo want."

"Sounds good," the two turtles chimed. Samantha smiled and then reached for the phone. Suddenly, Don's Shell-cell began ringing.

"Hello? Raph? He is? Aw man! And we were just gonna order dinner! He's headed where? Alright! Follow him and we'll track you!" He quickly hung up and looked at his youngest brother and his girlfriend.

"Looks like dinner's gonna have to wait, guys. Leo's gone rogue turtle."

"Damn it!" Samantha muttered.

"So where's our secretive leader headed?" Mikey inquired.

"Back to the city," Don informed them.

"Well then, let me get changed and then let's play a little Follow the Leader," Sam told them.

"Or in our case, Follow the Leader's Shadow," Don replied, taking out his hand-held tracking device for the Shell-cells and calibrating it to track Raph's signal.

* * *

Back in New York City, Leo paused, looked around and then stealthily slipped inside, closing the door behind him. Raph was waiting for them in a nearby alley when they arrived. They were at 16 Boyle on the Lower East Side, but still couldn't figure out what Leo was doing here. The others quickly rushed over and crouched by the door.

"Leo's been acting funny all day," Mikey observed. "And I don't mean "HA HA" funny. I mean "funny" funny."

"It's not like him to go off like this," Don said before walking to the small access ladder.

"Yeah. He's acting like me," Raph agreed, throwing in his two cents.

"Oh great. That's all we need: another **you**. Now, another me would be a different story. That would be a **good** thing," Mikey told Raph.

"Not for Raph's blood pressure it wouldn't, Mikey," Samantha countered cheekily, earning a chuckle from Raph and a frown from Mikey.

"Are you guys coming?" Don asked, hanging from the ladder rungs. The three quickly rushed over and were soon on the roof. A glass skylight allowed them to see into the room. It was dimly lit, with red carpets and…the inverted dragon's claw symbol she'd been seeing on the ninjas. Sam clenched her teeth and tried not to growl at the sight of the symbol. She felt the familiar surge of evil that meant the _tengu _could sense her volatile emotional state. Quickly, she slowed her breathing and felt the anger dissipating. Finally, the feeling vanished.

Just then, Leo came into view. Samantha felt her heart skip a beat when she saw him. He was still alive, thank God. Maybe Saki hadn't gotten to him yet. Suddenly, the same, dark-clothed ninjas they'd been fighting for months emerged from the shadows, surrounding the mutant turtle. Her heart immediately sank.

"13 to 1?" Don observed, as Leo stood and looked around at his numerous opponents.

"That seems pretty unfair," Mikey joked. "I mean, there's **only** 13 of them."

"This is so **not** the time to joke around, Mikey!" Samantha growled. "Right now, we've got some butt-kicking to do!" She made a move to rise from her knees.

"If Leo needs us, we're here," Raph said, holding her back. "But let's see what this is all about." They watched as Leo took on the ninjas and defeated them all in what seemed like minutes.

"Wow. Your brother is one bad-ass ninja," Samantha whispered to Don, the admiration in her voice clear to all three of them. Then, they saw a man emerge from the shadows. He was dressed in a white shirt with a grey vest that had the inverted dragon's claw on it, white, wide-legged pants, and a sash. He was tall, long-faced, his dark hair close to his shoulders and slicked back, and his eyes were either dark-brown or black. Samantha immediately tensed like a lion at the sight of the man. Don, who was beside her, saw her reaction to the man.

"Who is that guy?" Don inquired.

"Trouble," Samantha answered, her voice low and grave. "**Big **trouble." They watched as Leo sheathed his katana blades and talked with the man. The entire time, Samantha was silently praying that Leonardo wouldn't believe a word this man said. If she'd told all of them the truth about the Amulet, about everything, maybe he'd stand a chance.

"What's he saying?" Don asked his brothers, as all four of them continued to spy from the skylight.

"Something about onions," Mikey said, rubbing his stomach. "Or maybe pepperoni and sausage… in a deep-dished crust!" Raph smacked Mikey in his head. "What? It's hard to hear! And I'm hungry!"

"Focus, Mikey!" hissed Samantha. "This is important!"

"Sorry!" Then, after a few minutes, they saw the man reappear with a sword. Samantha gasped.

"What is it, Princess?" Raph asked her.

"That sword in his hand was crafted by the great master, Toshi Kurahara," Samantha explained. "It's very valuable. 16th century Japanese work. But it's also said that during the forging, Kurahara folded the metal over 700 times to remove any impurities." They all watched as the sword was pressed into Leo's hands and the man melted back into the shadows.

"This is **not** good," Samantha told them bluntly as Leo hurried out the door and down the street, the sword in his hands.

"Gee. And I thought Master Splinter said never to take swords from strangers," Mikey observed drily. Raph just looked at him.

"We're going after him!" Samantha ordered before taking off after Leonardo.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Raph muttered before he followed her with Don and Mikey trailing behind him.

* * *

It didn't take long to find Leonardo. He was standing on a rooftop on Canal, gazing at the sword.

"This is beautiful," he whispered.

"Oh, Leonardo! You have some 'splaining to do!" Mikey called out in the worst Italian accent Samantha had ever heard in her life. He landed on the roof and tapped his foot against the cement. She landed beside Raph and could feel his anger radiating off of him and onto her.

"Nice letter opener! Is that the price of selling out these days?" Raph snapped.

"How could you do this?" Samantha demanded, her eyes flaming.

"Samantha, what're you talking about?" Leo asked in shock when he saw her standing there, looking deadly.

"How could you sell us out to the same ninjas we've been fighting for months for some sword?" she snarled.

"It's not what you think, Samantha!" Leo replied, obviously looking nervous. "I was invited…"

"To join up with them?" Raph finished, sounding furious. Both Don and Mikey were glaring at him, and Samantha was practically livid. Her eyes were almost ablaze with fury, and Leo could've sworn that he'd seen them turn red, even for a moment.

"NO! I mean…yes! But it's different than we thought!" Leo argued. "They're not the enemy. At least, I don't think they are. Everything Master Saki said…"

"**Master **Saki?" Raph repeated, getting in Leo's face. "What's up with dat?"

"Forget the "master" part!" Samantha snapped, taking a step closer to Leo. "**Saki** invited you? Leo, are you out of your mind?"

"I thought we already had a master," Don reminded him pointedly. "**Master Splinter**?"

"Remember Leo? Real hairy guy about this tall?" Mikey jumped in. "I don't think we can just ditch him!"

"I'm not talking about "ditching" anyone," Leo defended, turning his back to his brothers and Samantha for a moment. "I'm only talking about working with another group of ninjas in a fight against **evil**. Mikey," Leo said, turning around, "you're always going on about how we should do some good, serve a greater purpose. Well, **here's** a greater purpose."

"I dunno, Leo," Mikey said, scratching his head. Samantha felt her blood freeze to ice. Leo had fallen for Saki's words hook, line and sinker. There was no hope left. He was even trying to convince his brothers to join up with Saki. She was doomed. The world was doomed.

But Raph wasn't as ready to accept his brother's words as she'd thought.

"What's dis thing got? Some sort of mind control device inside it?" Raph demanded, snatching the sword of Leo's hands. "'Cause you're losing it, Leo!"

"Hey! Give that back, Raph!" Leo ordered, grabbing his brother's shell and reaching for the sword. Raph pushed him off and away from him and then turned around.

"Nah! You can just get one of your new "pals" to get you another one!" Raph threw back, as the two squared off.

"Give it back!" Leo shouted, leaping onto Raph and wrestling for the sword.

"Gee. A fight between Leo and Raph?" Mikey observed.

"Oh, I didn't see **that** coming," Don said, the sarcasm in his voice clear to Samantha. But she was too angry to laugh. And seeing those two fighting over that stupid sword wasn't helping her temper.

"That's it! I'm breaking this up!" Samantha declared before hurrying towards the two. She quickly tried to grab again and again for the sword. Boy, when these two fought, there was no getting in-between them.

"Stop it, you two!" she yelled at them. "You're acting like little kids!" Finally, just when she'd gotten a hand on the cause of the fight, she felt a foot kick her in the face, sending her flying backwards towards the edge of the roof. She teetered on the edge and desperately tried to regain her balance, but it wasn't enough, and she tumbled over the edge with a scream.

**Gasp! Oh my gosh! Who kicked her over? Will Samantha survive? Will Leo convince the others to join with Saki? And when will Samantha finally tell _everyone_ the truth? Find out in the coming chapters of Not An Ordinary Girl! Reviews are important, guys, so use that little button at the bottom of the screen. Starting...now!**


	22. Chapter 22

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**So, a huge thanks to my fabulous and faithful reviewers: Drusilla52, pokemonjkl, snow299 and IceColdFever! Also, thanks to Drusilla52 and Galimatias for adding this story to Story Alert and LunaMoonlight100 for adding this story to your favorites! Hope to see a review from you two soon! So, like I said: the last chapter, this one and the next one are based off of the episode: The Shredder Strikes Parts 1 & 2 with a few of my creative twists! Anyways, spread the word about this story to your friends and readers, guys! I really want more people to read this story! Other than that, enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**_  
_

Chapter Twenty-Two

Samantha's scream was enough to stop the fight. Mikey and Don were shocked with horror. Both Raphael and Leonardo looked up in time to see Samantha teeter and then fall over the edge of the roof.

"Sammy!" Mikey screamed.

"Princess!" Raph yelled.

"SAMANTHA!" Leo and Don shouted at the same time. The four rushed to the roof's edge and saw the ninja princess hanging onto the handle of her _tanto_, the blade deep in the cement wall of the building.

"Maybe the _tanto_ is the ultimate ninja weapon," she thought aloud as a rope landed next to her. She quickly grabbed onto it and pulled her small knife out of the cement wall. She felt the rope and her being pulled up back to the rooftop. Once she was close enough to the ledge, she felt hands grab her and haul her over and back to safety.

"Samantha! Are you alright?" Don asked, kneeling down in front of her. She looked up and nodded, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. Don's hand brushed her cheek gently, as if he had to make sure she was really here. She nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. He let out a sigh of relief. _"__Grâce au Dieu. Quand tu es tombée, mon cœur a arrêté. J'ai pensé que je t'ai perdue." _Samantha smiled at his words: _Thank God. When you fell, my heart stopped. I thought I'd lost you. _

"Samantha," she heard Leo say. She turned around and saw him move towards her. The remorseful tone she heard in his voice was enough to confirm her suspicions that Leo had been the one who'd kicked her, who'd nearly **killed** her. The Turtle who she suspected still had feelings for her had almost ended her life. And all over a stupid sword from Saki. She shrank back. Don's arms were around her in an instant, holding her close to his plastron. He glared at Leo fiercely, beating back the urge to pummel his brother for nearly killing his girlfriend.

"I'm such an idiot!" Leo snapped, scolding himself. He walked up to her and knelt down next to her, regardless of how she was clinging to Don right now. He needed to make things right between them. He couldn't bear the thought of her being angry with him or worse, afraid of him. "Samantha, I am so sorry! You've could've been really hurt…if not worse! Please, Samantha. Forgive me. I can't bear having you afraid of me."

"Yeah. You really **are** an idiot!" Raph echoed, giving Leo a slight hit to the shoulder. "And trust me, Sword Boy: da Princess don't keep grudges fer long!" Samantha smiled at Raph. Good old Hothead. He knew just what to say to get the air back beneath her wings. Samantha moved to stand and Don followed her like a shadow, keeping his arms around her as they moved lower to encircle her waist.

"So, what are we gonna do, Leo?" Don asked as Mikey handed his eldest brother the sword.

"What I should've done in the first place. Talk to Master Splinter," Leo replied seriously. His gaze landed on Samantha, and immediately, his eyes became remorseful and sad. He probably thought she was still angry with him.

"Guys. Could ya give us a minute?" she asked Mikey, Raph and Don. "**Alone?**" she added. Raph and Mikey threw each other a look before nodding and leaping down into the alley to wait for them. Don was a little slow at releasing Samantha from his embrace, but he did it eventually.

"I'll call the Battle Shell. Don't take too long," he told her, kissing her lightly on the lips before shooting Leo a hard (if not challenging) look before he leapt into the alley where his brothers were.

"Samantha, I…" Leo began, but Sam pressed two fingers to his beak and stopped him from saying anything more.

"I forgive you, Leonardo," she told him, removing her fingers from his mouth. "Everyone makes mistakes."

"Well, my "mistake" nearly cost me big time."

"What do you mean?"

"You mean a lot to my brothers and Master Splinter, Samantha."

"Thanks, Leo."

"You mean a lot to **me** too. I'd never forgive myself for hurting you."

"Neither would Donny!"

"You're telling me! He'd have my shell for a serving platter if I ever hurt you! That is, if Mikey or Raph or Master Splinter didn't do it first!"

"Wow! I didn't know I was so loved!"

"We love you a lot, Samantha Bushido. We're family now. Now especially since you're dating one of my brothers."

"C'mon. Let's getting going!"

"What's the rush, Samantha?"

"Look. We need to get back to the Lair and talk to Master Splinter. There are…some things you have to know, Leonardo; you **and** your brothers."

* * *

Master Splinter sat in his meditation position, holding the sword in his paws. His face was grave. On one side of him was the scrap of cloth with the ninja symbol Mikey had gotten while Samantha stood by his other side. She looked at the four Turtles, who were all seated before their Sensei. Master Splinter then gave a heavy sigh and looked at Samantha. She nodded gravely. It was time for there to be no more secrets between them.

"My children. I had hoped this day would never come," he told them seriously. "I know who these people are. I have always known. This is the symbol of the Foot ninja," he told them, holding the cloth in his paw. "Their leader is Oroku Saki. But he has another name. He is…the Shredder. I have often told you of my beloved Master Yoshi. But now, it is time I told you the whole story."

"As you already know, my master was a ninja of great power. One of the greatest practitioners of Ninjitsu in centuries. Some say that only Bushido himself was greater than my Master." Samantha smiled. "I was his pet rat, and I learned Ninjitsu by mimicking his moves. For many years, I was happy. We were… a family. But that life ended when the Shredder sent his Foot ninja to attack my master. My master battled honorably. But, through their dishonorable ways, the Foot ninja overpowered him. Then, the Shredder entered. They accused my master of working with their enemies. They wanted information. They were relentless. But my master only said one thing: "He who lives without honour shall end without honour." I tried to save my master, but my efforts were in vain, though I did leave my mark. I watched The Shredder's claw pierce my Master's heart. The Shredder had taken my Master Yoshi from me, from the world. Not long after that, I found you, my sons."

"I did not tell you because I did not want your training to be tainted by the poison of hatred. I did not want you, my sons, or you, Princess Bushido-san, to feel the sorrow I still feel in my heart, even though you have your own grieves caused by The Shredder."

"Say what?" Mikey exclaimed. Leo quickly smacked him in the head and shot him a scolding look.

"It's time for you to know the truth about my past as well, my friends," Samantha told them, kneeling down at Master Splinter's side. "I too lost someone near and dear to me to The Shredder. My own father, Bushido, was murdered by Shredder when I was twelve years old."

"WHAT?" Raph, Mikey and Leo exclaimed in shock. Don's face was impassive, but only Master Splinter seemed to notice it.

"H…How did it happen?" Leo asked nervously. Samantha then launched into the entire story that she'd told Donatello last night on the balcony, including the truth about her Amulet. By the time she was done, the three other brothers were staring at her, jaws on the ground.

"I wish I could've told you all this earlier, but I was told to keep my mouth shut by my mystic friend, Yoshi," Sam told them. "But now that The Shredder's approached Leonardo about joining him, now that I've had three, close encounters with death, I decided that my word didn't matter more than my life."

"So, lemme get this straight," Leo said. "**I've** been chosen by some mysterious group of warriors to protect a dangerous, demon-inhabited Amulet and the girl wearing it from falling into the hands of The Great Evil aka Shredder who'll use it to destroy the world?"

"Well, that's the simple way of putting it. But to save time, yeah. Basically, that's it," Samantha replied.

"Whoa! Dude!" Mikey gasped.

"It is an awesome responsibility, my son," Splinter advised him. "This may be melodramatic, but the fate of the world **is** in your hands, Leonardo."

"I won't disappoint you, Sensei," Leo vowed solemnly, bowing to Splinter. He bowed back before his face became serious once more.

"I did not tell you because I did not want your training to be tainted by the poison of hatred. I did not want you to feel the sorrow I still feel in my heart." His gaze met those of his sons'. "But now, you need to know who Saki, the Shredder, really is. He serves no great purpose. He fights no great evil. He _is _great evil. Any endeavor he undertakes is for his own selfish gain."

"Man! I am **such** an idiot!" Leo sighed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I could've told ya that!" Mikey jeered, nudging his eldest brother.

"You've been played, bro!" Don said, grinning. "He played you! He saw you comin' a mile away!"

"It doesn't matter what has happened in the past," Samantha said in defense of Leo. "The course of action we decide now in the present to take is what truly matters."

"So what do we do about this?" Raph asked.

"Shredder wants an answer? I say we give him one. **Turtle Style**!" Leo suggested, socking his fist into his hand. Sharing a glance, the four brothers bowed to Master Splinter, who bowed back. Samantha remained at her place by Master Splinter's side while the others took turns helping each other up. A part of her wanted to go with them, to find Saki and avenge her father, but the other side of her cautioned against it. It would be too risky. Saki was a clever adversary. He might already have a trap in place to catch her and the Amulet. Moreover, the Turtles didn't need her screwing things up by getting into trouble with a bunch of ninjas who knew who she was.

"Yo, Princess! You comin' or what?" Raph questioned. "We ain't got all night!"

"You guys go on without me," Samantha responded. The four brothers looked at each other in shock before they approached the young woman. Usually, Samantha was the first one to dive into action, to be eager to fight the Foot ninjas and Purple Dragons. Why was she hesitating now?

"What're you talking about, dudette?" Mikey inquired, scrunching his eye ridges. "We totally need you on the battlefield! You're, like, a powerhouse superhero! Only in ninja princess form!"

"Yeah! You kick ass better than girl I've ever seen! You're friggin' lethal!" Raph added.

"Language, my son!" Splinter scolded, glaring at Raphael. "Language!"

"Sorry, Sensei," Raph apologized.

"What I think Mikey and Raph are trying to say is: We need you out there, Samantha," Leo told her. "You're a vital part of this team."

"But what if something goes wrong and Shredder captures me?" Samantha demanded.

"**No one** is gonna touch you, Princess!" Raph declared firmly, socking his fist into his hand. "If they put one finger near ya, they're gonna regret it!" Sam looked up and saw the serious look on Raph's face. He wasn't joking about this.

"We've got your back, Sammy!" Mikey added, patting her shoulder.

"They've got another thing coming if they try to get near you, Samantha!" Leo told her, whipping out his katana blades. Sam smiled as Don came and pulled her into his arms, holding her close.

"If those punks want you, they're gonna have to go through **us** first!" Don declared, burying his face in her hair.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Samantha replied.

"Well, then don't be," Leo reassured her. "We can take of ourselves. Just like we can take care of each other. Come on, Samantha. We can't do this without you." Samantha looked at each of their faces and saw that Leo's words were anything but a lie.

"Alright. I'm in," she decided. There were whoops and cheers from the brothers as she had her hair ruffled four, consecutive times.

"Alright. I hate to rain on dis Kodak moment, but let's get to the fun stuff, shall we?" Raph suggested, twirling his sais. "Like kicking some shell?"

"You read my mind, Hothead," Samantha chuckled, unsheathing her wakizashi and staring at her reflection in its blade. "You read my mind."

* * *

The five ninjas returned to the rooftop where they'd found Leo with the sword and waited for their "guests" to make an appearance. It didn't take long. The Foot ninjas jumped down from all around it seemed and faced off with the Turtles and Samantha, who drew their weapons and readied for battle.

"Tell your boss the answer is no!" Leo told them firmly. "And he can have his sword back!" He threw the sword like a javelin causing it to get caught right in a fan. Then, his katana swords were out like lightning.

"Let's dance," he whispered in a deadly voice. And then, the battle was on. Samantha's wakizashi was taking out more Foot ninjas than she'd anticipated. She watched as the others took out scores of the enemy ninjas and then the five regrouped.

"Well. All in a day's work," Don said, smiling.

"Turtles rule!" the four brothers declared, smacking palms. Samantha sheathed her sword and crossed her arms over her chest before coughing pointedly. The four brothers looked at her before Mikey grinned and approached her.

"And where would we be without our favorite ninja princess: Samantha!" Mikey declared. The others all cheered as Samantha snickered and took a bow.

"Now, let's get outta here," she said. But just then, the rooftop access door was busted off his hinges and Hun appeared.

"Not him again!" Don groaned.

"Ya think he woulda learned his lesson the first time around!" Samantha added, taking back out her sword.

"We beat him before. We can beat him again," Leo told them.

"Yeah," Raph agreed, narrowing his eyes at the Purple Dragons leader.

"I've been looking forward to this rematch, freaks!" Hun growled, cracking his enormous knuckles.

"Bring it! If you've got the guts!" Leo challenged, as the four brothers drew out their weapons. Hun gave an animalistic battle cry and then lunged at them. Dodging his blows, Samantha succeeded in landing a few kicks to his stomach and arms, but then, as he beat the turtles one by one, Samantha knew that she was less and less likely to defeat him on her own.

Finally, it was just the two of them.

"Ah, little Miss Princess!" Hun chuckled. "Just the girl I wanted. I'm not gonna kill you, but I'm sure my Boss wouldn't care if you were banged up a little!"

"You and your Boss can go shove it, you giant ape!" Samantha snarled, lunging at him. But he just dodged every blow and then gave her a hard punch that caught her jaw and sent her flying to the ground. He picked her up and smashed her, back-first into the wall.

"Now, what did you tell me to do, little girl?" he whispered in a deceptively soothing voice. Suddenly, Samantha felt his hand go around her throat, and she began choking and spluttering. Suddenly, the hand was gone and she dropped to the ground like a stone. She felt gentle hands around her arms haul her upright. Shaking off the swimming sensation in her head, she saw Leo fighting sword-to-sword with Hun. Just then, Hun managed to knock Leo's katana swords out of his hands and send the blue-bandana turtle hard to the ground.

"No! Leo!"

"Get back!"

"Look out!"

"Leonardo! Move out of the way!" Samantha shouted. Just then, Leo flipped forward and kicked Hun repeatedly until he sent him flying through a glass skylight, the sword close behind him. Samantha broke free from Donatello and ran over to Leo, arms outstretched. She caught him just before he fell forward onto his face.

"You OK?" she whispered, as his wrapped his arm around her neck, using her body to push himself back up.

"I'm fine," Leo grunted. Then, she saw he was gazing at her neck. She probably had Hun's finger marks etched into her skin. And by the way his eyes suddenly became slits, she was right on the money. Don and the others came hurrying over to them, Don and Mikey taking over for Samantha in supporting their brother.

"We'll sleep well tonight," Mikey said.

"That was **not** easy," Don seconded.

"Here you go, bro," Raph said, handing Leo his katana blades back. Leo sheathed them and then braced himself from the weight of Samantha throwing herself into his arms.

"Thank you, Leonardo," she told him. He returned the hug, but was shocked when she pulled back and planted a sisterly kiss on his forehead. "Thank you for protecting me."

"Hey! What are **we**? Chopped liver?" Don asked pointedly. Mikey and Raph nodded.

"I'd give you guys your due rewards as well, but I think we've got more important things to worry about," Samantha said, looking over their shoulders at the mass of Foot ninjas. Everyone turned and got their weapons out for the third time that night.

"Oh shhhh…shell!" Leo hissed.

"Well! Let's get this over with!" Samantha declared. Just then, the ninjas parted like the Red Sea, and a figure wearing an impressive suit of metal armor leaped down amongst them. His eyes were red and his armor shone like a polished jewel in the moonlight. Samantha gritted her teeth and gripped the hilt of her sword tighter. So, he was here in New York City after all. The Shredder. Her father's murderer.

"Those who are not with me are against me!" he roared in a scary voice. "And I **crush** those who are against me!"

"You might meet your match here, Oroku Saki!" Samantha shot back, stepping in front of Leo and his brothers. Saki took his helmet off and smiled evilly.

"Princess Bushido," he said. "I was hoping to find you sooner or later. How fortunate for me. Too bad the same cannot be said for you and your mutant freaks! The time for games has ended. No more charades. You see me as I am, and it is the last thing that you will ever see." Smirking, he placed the helmet back on his head. "Prepare to face your destiny! And your doom!"

"You took my father's life! You took my school! You took away the only family I had left! And now, I'm taking…**my revenge**!" Samantha snarled.

"HA! Prepare to face your destiny! And your doom!" Shredder said.

"Well, he's your friend, Leo," Don reminded his eldest brother.

"And… he certainly has a strong sense of personal style," Mikey added. "I mean… nice outfit!"

"Yeah. But somethin' tells me he didn't get all dressed up fer nothing!" Raph observed drily.

"Guys. I think we're in for the fight of our lives," Leo told his brothers. Everyone was prepared to fight, but Samantha didn't step aside and allow Leo to assume command.

"Leo! You and your brothers take care of Saki's little playmates!" Sam ordered. "Leave the Shredder to me!"

"Samantha…!" Leo began to say, but the ninja princess and Shredder both leapt into the air, heading towards each other, their eyes betraying the fact that the battle between them wouldn't be an ordinary, winner-take-all fight; it was going to be a battle to the death. And all Leo could do was pray that the ninja princess knew what the shell she was doing.

**So, another cliffhanger. Will Samantha avenge her father's murder? Will Shredder get his hands on the Amulet? And when will the other Turtles get their "just rewards"? Tune in for the next segment of this action-packed story to find out! So, reviews are ever so welcome to me! So you can start from right about...now!**


	23. Chapter 23

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**So, a huge thanks to my fabulous and faithful reviewers: CowabungaChick, White Fairy Writer, Drusilla52, pokemonjkl and IceColdFever! Also, thanks to White Fairy Writer for adding this story to Story Alert and me to Author Alert and CowabungaChick for adding this story to your favorites and Story Alert! So, sorry I've been gone for so long, guys. Writer's block and life got in the way, but now, I'm back! Anyways, spread the word about this story to your friends and readers, guys! I really want more people to read this story! Other than that, enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**_  
_

Chapter Twenty-Three

There are times in a person's life where the only thing that matters is getting revenge. Even if for a brief moment, every person has thought what it would feel like to make someone pay for what they've done. Samantha had been waiting for this moment for almost five, long years. And as she blocked the blow from Shredder's gauntlet claw and landed on the opposite side of the roof, all that was running through her mind was the image of that same metal claw slicing into her father's chest and this monster raising it in the air like a bloodstained flag as her father lay dying at his feet.

Turning like lightning, the two enemies came at each other again, metal clashing in deadly harmony with metal. Samantha's narrowed, angry eyes met her foe's red ones, and as they separated and tried to strike a blow again, she felt the same feeling that told her that the _tengu_ could sense her rage and was about to take advantage of it. But her mind was so intent on the destruction of the Shredder that she ignored it completely.

"You are a formidable opponent, Princess Bushido," the Shredder said as she dodged an attack from his claw. She flipped in the air and tried to land an eagle's strike attack, but Shredder grabbed her leg as she came down towards him and threw her into a wall, which she flipped and kicked off of and launched herself at Shredder, who blocked this attack as well. "And your skills could be useful to me! Join me, Princess! With the power of the _tengu_, we could rule the world together! Serve me, and you will have wealth and power beyond your wildest dreams!"

"Serve **you**? A dishonorable monster who murdered a man in cold blood in front of a child? I'd rather die with honor like a true Bushido than serve you, Oroku Saki!"

"HA! Foolish child! Then you shall get your wish! You cannot defeat me! I am INVINCIBLE!"

"I **will** defeat you, Shredder!" she snarled, ducking low and swiping the armored man's feet out from under him. "You murdered an innocent man! My father was the greatest warrior who ever lived, and you **killed** him!"

"If he was so great, then he would have defended himself against me! Instead, he died like a sniveling coward!" Shredder taunted, leaping back onto his feet and trying to hit her again, but she jumped in the air and flipped backwards. Her sword glinted deadly in the lightning that flashed across the sky above them.

"He died with honor!" Samantha growled, launching herself at Shredder once more. "You, a dishonorable, murdering coward, have **no** right to speak of him like that! And you **will** pay for destroying my family!"

Don batted away another Foot ninja and saw Sam battling hard with Shredder. As good as she was doing, Don saw an all-too-familiar sight that made his blood begin to freeze and turn to ice. Her eyes were beginning to turn red, and her gritted teeth were started to become pointier. He looked and saw that his suspicions were confirmed. The Amulet was glowing. That damn _tengu_ was acting up again. Suddenly, Samantha's sword fell from her hands, and she clutched her head. She was trying to fight it, but she didn't see the Shredder getting back up.

"Guys! We've gotta help Sam!" he shouted to his brothers, who were busy thwacking Foot ninjas left and right. "It's the _tengu_!"

"Then start the rescue mission, Donny!" Raph shouted as he shoulder-slammed two Foot ninjas before taking out another with his sais. "We'll cover ya!"

Don nodded and then, batting Foot ninjas out of his path leapt into the air and kicked Shredder away from Samantha before he could reach her.

"Donny! Stay out of this!" Samantha growled. Don grabbed Samantha by the shoulders and shook her hard, braving himself to look into her red eyes.

"Samantha! Listen! You've got to fight it! I can help you!" Don told her.

"This is **my **fight, Donatello!" she roared at him. Then, she clutched her head and moaned, "No. No. It's **our** fight. They're my family. They want to help me."

_They want to hinder you from avenging your father, Bushido! _the voice argued inside her head. _They wouldn't stop you from destroying that murdering beast if they **really** cared about you! Destroy them!_

"No!" Samantha grunted. "Donny! Get…out…of the…way! It's…too…**strong**! I…can't…fight…it!"

"Yes, you can _chérie_! I'm here with you! I'm not gonna let you fight this alone, Sam!" Don replied firmly, grabbing her hands. Just then, he saw the Shredder coming at them like a speeding bullet train. "Look out!" Shoving her out of the way, Don's Bo staff caught the blow, but the Shredder kicked Don hard in the face, sending the techno turtle flying back into the wall, shell first. He fell to the ground with a groan of pain.

"Donny!" Samantha yelled as she saw Shredder going in for another hit. As quick as a thunderbolt, she leapt into the air and went soaring over Shredder's head and blocked the blow intended to harm her boyfriend.

"Keep…away…from…my…**family**!" she snarled, striking a blow with her sword on each word. Shredder blocked the last one with his left arm, and as Samantha tried to push upwards, she failed to see Shredder's claw coming right at her until she felt a sharp pain in her side. Crying out in shock, she stumbled back and dodged a kick from her father's murderer. She pressed a hand to her burning right side. She felt something warm and wet on her skin and brought her hand up to her face. A dark-red liquid was covering her hand like paint.

Blood. _Her_ blood.

"Sammy's hurt!" Mikey shouted to the others as he rushed to the injured princess's side. Leo and Raph were supporting an injured Donatello, whose face became even grimmer when he saw his girlfriend clutching her side, the blood from her wound pouring out onto the surface of her hand. He'd failed her. She'd gotten injured, and he wasn't able to protect her. He could only pray the wound wasn't too serious or…he didn't want to think about what might happen if it wasn't.

"We've gotta get her out of here!" Leo shouted before there was a crackling sound that filled their ears. They turned and saw that the roof was ablaze, the Shredder coming towards them with his Foot Ninjas behind him.

"Don, Mikey! Get Samantha out of here!" Leo ordered, drawing his katana swords. "Raph and I will cover you! Go!" The two eldest brothers rushed forward to take on Shredder and his minions. Don and Mikey watched as they pushed the ninjas and Shredder back. Suddenly, Don heard a cracking sound and saw the cement begin splintering and cracking up.

"The fire's weakened the roof's stability!" Don shouted to his brothers. "We have to…!" But he never got a chance to finish that sentence as the roof's edge beneath their feet caved in and the two mutant turtles and Samantha plummeted to the street below.

* * *

"Donny! Mikey! Princess!" Raph shouted before taking out another Foot Ninja. Suddenly, he was surrounded by the black-clothed ninjas.

"Alright ya lousy, pajama-wearing wannabes! Come and get some!" Raph challenged as he jumped onto the roof's edge. It was a mistake. As soon as his full weight rested on it, the cement edge collapsed and sent the hotheaded turtle plummeting into the dark alley below. Fortunately, he didn't land hard on the concrete floor. Unfortunately, he landed right in a New York City dumpster.

* * *

Leo had his shell against the edge of the roof. Shredder was advancing on him. He'd seen the roof collapse with Don, Mikey and Sam still on it. But he knew his brothers. And he knew the ninja princess. They'd be alright. But as Leo felt the roof collapse underneath him, and he plummeted to the street below, he had to wonder if he would be alright.

* * *

Mikey wrapped his arms around Samantha and turned onto his shell as the three hit the concrete pieces of the roof hard.

"Thank shell for…well, shells," Don moaned as he sat up and rubbed his bruised arms. Samantha groaned and saw that she was on top of Mikey, his arms practically cradling her to his body. He'd protected her from the fall. Did sweetness run in this family or what?

"Thanks, Mikester," she whispered, rolling off the mutant turtle and still holding her injured side. She brought her hand up to her face and saw that the wound was still bleeding, with the dried blood being covered by a new, fresh layer.

"Ow!" she heard Mikey say. Looking down, she saw that his left ankle was bruised and swollen. Don knelt down and gingerly touched it. Seeing Mikey wince in pain, he knew that his ankle was sprained at the very least, broken at the very worst. Wrapping his arm around Mikey, Don hauled him up, and his youngest brother slung his arm around the tech turtle's neck.

"I think my ankle's…!" he began to say, but Don slapped a hand over his mouth, stopping him from saying anything more. Peering around

"Shh!" he hissed at his brother. They were far away enough to see the flames of the still burning fire crackle and saw the Shredder walk right through the flames, unscathed and unharmed, his red eyes searching the streets for any sign of his enemies. Just then, the sound of sirens forced Don, Mikey and Sam to hide in the shadows. When they chanced another peek, they saw that Shredder and the Foot ninjas had vanished.

"We've gotta get you two out of here," Don said as he saw the approaching police car. "Climb on my back, Samantha."

"I can walk, Donatello," she said, taking a few steps forward. It was slow and painful, but she wasn't lame.

"You put any more pressure on that wound, Sam, and you're likely to lose a lot more blood," Don countered. "I can handle the two of you. Now, c'mon, let's go. Before our "friends" find us again." Muttering something about always being overprotected, Samantha, her side still aching, climbed onto Don's shell and wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. It was slow going, but they finally reached an alley with fire escapes.

"We need to wrap up that ankle with something, Mikey," Don said aloud to himself. "Sam. Do you think you can survive getting up these fire escapes?"

"No problem," she replied, sliding off his shell and wincing as her side jarred. Don cringed.

"Let's go, then," he said, and the three ninjas jumped up the fire escapes and sat on the sill of an open apartment bathroom window.

"Now, what can we use?" Don mused. Then, he spied a pair of stockings and grabbed them. Mikey sat down on the toilet and Samantha watched as Don carefully wrapped up the injured ankle. Just then, the door opened and a little boy came in, wearing pajamas. Everyone froze as the little child stared at the two, huge turtles and the young ninja princess.

"Umm…hi!" Mikey said to the boy.

"Mommy! Mommy! Come quick! There's two, giant turtles and a lady in the bathroom!" the boy shouted, running out of the room to get his mother. Sam was the first one to hit the alley, followed close behind by Don and Mikey. And as they ran through the shadows, Samantha couldn't help but wonder if the boy's mother would believe him or just think he'd been watching too many movies.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, they reached an open space.

"Hey. I think this is where I met you guys for the first time!" Samantha said to Don and Mikey.

"Hooray," Mikey said, completely unenthusiastically, as he slumped against a wall. "I'm tired!"

"Same here," Don said, leaning on his Bo staff for support. "How're you doing, Sam? Not feeling cold? Dizzy? Lightheaded?"

"A little cold, but other than that, I'm alright," Sam answered.

"My medical bag's in the Battle Shell," he remembered. Then, he reached into his belt and grabbed the remote control. "Let me call it and…yikes!" he yelped as a hand touched his shoulder. The three battered ninjas drew out their weapons, but felt relief wash over them in abundance when they saw Master Splinter standing there.

"Oh! Master Splinter! Boy, are we glad to see you!" Mikey shouted. "We were fighting the Shredder and some Foot ninjas and then the roof collapsed! And I hurt my ankle! And Sammy…!" Master Splinter covered Mikey's mouth with a furry paw.

"Michelangelo! Quiet! If **we** could hear you, then so could the Foot ninjas searching for us!" Master Splinter warned him. No sooner had he said those words than the four found themselves surrounded by Foot ninjas.

"Don't ya hate it when he's right?" Samantha asked pointedly as their weapons were out in a flash.

"Master Splinter! Call the Battle Shell! We'll take care of these guys!" Don shouted before the three leapt into action. Samantha's wakizashi made short work of the Foot Ninjas, but one of them kicked her in her injured side, causing her to fall to the ground, groaning in pain. Looking up in time, she managed to block a potentially fatal blow from one of the Foot, but she knew that if she didn't get help soon, she wasn't going to last much longer. Suddenly, the pressing weight of a sword was gone, and Samantha looked and saw the ninja smash into the brick wall.

"Don't tell me you guys were having a party without inviting me?" a familiar voice inquired in playful shock. Twirling his sais, Raph quickly jumped into the fray and beat back the ninjas long enough for Samantha to back away and help cover Mikey.

"Donatello, you call for the truck," Master Splinter said, tossing his son back the remote. "**I** will help your brothers and Princess Bushido." Samantha kicked away a Foot ninja in time to see Master Splinter's walking stick become a lethal weapon. Twirling it left, right, up and down, an entire circle of ninjas soon lay defeated around the rat master.

"Whoa! Master Splinter, you kick butt!" Raph said in amazement. Just then, the roar of the Battle Shell's engine filled the night air as the armored truck pulled up into the space. Everyone piled inside. Suddenly, Samantha smelt something extremely…**bad** in the Battle Shell.

"Eww! What smells like rotten fish, sour milk and used baby diapers?" Samantha cried, holding her nose. "It's awful!" Mikey, who was sitting beside Raph, sniffed the air beside his brother and jerked his head back.

"Aw man, dude!" Mikey shouted, covering his nose with both hands. "You **seriously** need to hit the showers when we get back to Sammy's place!"

"Though this is quite unusual, I agree with Michelangelo," Master Splinter seconded, fanning the air in front his face. "You, as you kids would say, stink to high heaven!"

Don used the Shell-Cell tracking device to locate Leo's position, and as they turned the corner into an alley, Samantha thought she saw someone standing beside the blue-bandana turtle. But whoever they were, they were gone the minute the bright headlights of the Battle Shell hit the bricks.

"Slow down! You drive too quickly! And that turn was much too sharp!" Master Splinter chided Don.

"Master Splinter! You've been backseat driving me the entire way here!" Don complained. Then, he stuck his head out the window. "Hey, Leo! Need a ride?"

"Sure. Guys, I'd like to introduce you to…" He stopped short when he saw the Guardian who'd helped him had vanished. "The mystery ninja," he finished, before he climbed into the Battle Shell. "How's your side, Samantha?" he asked the ninja princess.

"It's hurting less, and I don't feel cold anymore," she responded.

"Oh yeah! Ignore the turtle with the messed up ankle who's also your bro, Leo! Nice!" Mikey scoffed.

"Sorry, Mikey. How did it happen?" Leo asked.

"I was busy saving Donny's girlfriend from getting smashed in addition to already being stabbed," Mikey answered. "Then, I found that I messed up this ankle when I hit the ground."

"Samantha. Before I bandage up Mikey's ankle, let me see that wound of yours so I can clean it and bandage it up, too," Don told her. Sam nodded and removed her hand from the injury. It was covered in dark, dried blood. Don took out a pair of scissors, a roll of gauze and some alcohol and cotton balls from his medical bag. Kneeling down beside the sitting princess, Don removed the torn bits of fabric away and gasped when he saw that the wound was almost healed.

"It…it…it's almost healed up," Don stammered. Everyone including Samantha looked at Don in shock.

"How is that possible?" Samantha demanded.

"I'm guessing that the _tengu's_ regenerative powers came into play," Don theorized. "The Amulet is healing you. Or rather, the _tengu_ is."

"But why would something so evil want to **heal** me? Wouldn't it be trying to **kill** me instead?"

"Hey! Don't jinx it, Princess!" Raph warned.

"Everything in life has a _yin_ and a _yang_," Master Splinter said. "Where there is evil, there is sometimes also good. It is what brings balance and harmony. The _tengu_ is an evil creature, yes, but apparently, there is some good in it for it to be healing the wearer of its home."

"Maybe you're not so bad after all," Sam muttered to the Amulet around her neck.

"Yeah. When yer not turning her into a snarling, fang-toothed, red-eyed monster!" Raph added, causing everyone to laugh.

"My children. Now that you are all safe…" Master Splinter's walking stick seemed to come out of nowhere and smacked them all on the heads.

"OW!" Mikey said.

"Should've seen **that** one coming," Samantha moaned, rubbing her head.

"HEY!" Don yelled.

"What was **dat** for?" Raph complained.

"For being so foolish! You should have never tried to face the Shredder alone! He is too powerful! Splinter scolded them. "Even you, Princess Bushido-san could not defeat him alone!"

"You're telling me! I've got bruises that have bruises!" Don stated.

"And this stab wound may be healing, but it's gonna scar," Samantha added, massaging her bandaged side.

"And did you see the Shredder walk straight through that fire?" Leo asked his siblings and friend.

"Yeah! He's like "the Shredi-nator" or something!" Mikey said.

"Seriously, Mikey? "The Shredi-nator?"" Samantha asked.

"You have stirred the hornets' nest. He will not rest until he finds us," Master Splinter said, sighing gravely.

"What should we do, Master Splinter?" Leo asked. It was then that the elderly rat looked up with a strange look in his eyes.

"Let him find us," he answered. Everyone looked at each in confusion. "I have long wished to avenge my Master Yoshi. Now is the time," Splinter explained, his eyes burning brightly with vengeance.

"And I haven't avenged my father, Bushido, yet," Samantha added. "And I intend to keep my promise to my Father."

"So, how are we going to let him find us?" Leo inquired.

"Sit still," Master Splinter answered.

"I don't know, Master Splinter. Sitting still isn't one of our strong points." Mikey caught the glare from the elderly rat and sat down. "Right! Sitting still it is! I like sitting still! Sitting still is good!"

"Oh, brother!" Sam groaned, covering her eyes with her hand.

* * *

The five mutants and the ninja princess were on another rooftop with an old, wooden water tower on it. Master Splinter sat close and out of sight on the top portion of the tower. Everyone was spread out against the wall, waiting silently. Suddenly, there was a screeching of metal on metal, and then, the Foot Ninjas jumped up and onto the roof followed by the silvery blur that was the Shredder.

"Dude!" Mikey breathed as Leo narrowed his eyes. Shredder glared at them, his eyes resting on Samantha, who glared right back at the man who'd taken her father's life.

"Let the butt-kicking begin," Raph said without his usual zeal for all things combative. Weapons out, the five friends waited for their enemy to give his soldiers the order to attack.

"Foot Ninjas! ATTACK!" Shredder ordered. The ninjas surged forward as the five charged at them, ready to fight.

"Remember, my children. Even the mighty oak bends before the fierce storm winds," Splinter counseled.

"Huh?" Mikey asked, clobbering someone on the head. The elderly rat sighed and covered his forehead with his hand.

"Be careful! And do not become overconfident!" Splinter explained.

Samantha fought her way through numerous Foot Ninjas until she saw the Shredder pick Don up and toss him into the wall. Mikey was the next to go up against the Shredder and was kicked away alongside his brother. Eyes narrowed, she saw the metal man sneak up behind Leo and raised his claw. Leaping into the air, she blocked the blow that probably would have killed the turtle and felt Shredder's foot kick her in her injured side. Buckling slightly, she felt him seize her by the collar and throw her against the wall with the others. Raph came after her, and Leo was kicked extremely hard into the wall, his swords sliding to opposite ends.

"Leo!" Don shouted. The five of them crowded together as the Shredder stood over them, gauntlet raised in the air above his head, the claw glinting in the moonlight.

"None of you will leave here alive!" he vowed.

"Shredder! NOOOOOO!" Master Splinter cried, leaping into the air and blocking the fatal blow as it came down. "You destroyed my family once! I will not allow you to do it again!"

"No man or FREAK can defeat me!" Shredder snarled viciously. He raised his other arm to punch Splinter, but Samantha's wakizashi blocked the potential hit.

"That remains to be seen!" she growled. Her side still searing with pain, Samantha looked at Master Splinter and nodded. Leaping away towards the water tower, the elderly rat gestured for their adversary to bring it. Roaring, the two ninjas blocked and dodged every hit that Shredder tried to land. His claw sliced into the wooden support beam, which gave Master Splinter an idea.

"Follow me, Princess," he told her. Nodding, she followed the elderly rat as Shredder slashed and slashed at them, always missing them, but always slicing through the wooden support beams. Suddenly, an ominous creaking could be heard as the water tower swayed and buckled.

"**This** is for my Master Yoshi!"

"And **this** is for my father, Bushido!" Together, the two leapt into the air and kicked the weakened supports. The water tower, spilling water, smashed down onto the roof, carrying the Shredder and his minions over the roof and hitting the street below. Then, with a mighty crash, the water tower landed on top of the Shredder.

"Master Splinter," Leo breathed in amazement.

"You okay?" Mikey asked.

"Come," he told his sons and Samantha. "We have avenged my Master Yoshi and the honorable Bushido. Let us go home. Or, in your case, back to your sleepover at Princess Bushido's home."

"I'm all over that!" Don said.

"Yeah," Raph seconded. "I need a shower."

"Yes you do!" the others chorused before bursting out in peals of laughter.

"We'll drive you back to the Lair, Sensei," Leo offered. "Then, we'll go back to Samantha's, get some food to eat, and then crash for about twelve hours."

"Sounds like a plan I can easily follow!" Mikey exclaimed.

"When it involves your two favorite things, Mikey, of course it's easy," Samantha joked.

"What two things, Sammy?" Mikey asked.

"What else, Michelangelo? Eating and sleeping!" Samantha laughed as the others snickered.

"She has, as they say, my son, "got you pegged"," Master Splinter chuckled. The merriment of the night continued as the warriors drove Master Splinter back to the Lair, completely oblivious to the claw that smashed through the wooden remnants of the old water tower, and the Shredder breaking free from his would-be, wooden grave, his red eyes glinting with malice and the thoughts in his mind centering only on the most brutal and painful sorts of revenge to take on the four Turtles, the rat, and the Bushido princess.

**To quote Michelangelo: "The bad guy _always_ comes back!" So, with the Shredder not dead, when will Samantha's father _truly_ be avenged? What is Shredder planning next? And _when_ am I gonna introduce the girl who'll capture Leo's heart and try and make him forget about my lovely ninja princess? All these answers, especially the one to the last question, will be revealed in the coming chapters, so stay tuned! So, you guys know how important reviews are to me, so review this story please! Starting...now!**


	24. Chapter 24

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**So, a huge thanks to my fabulous and faithful reviewers: pokemonjkl, IceColdFever, White Fairy Writer, grapejuice101, WolfAssassin369, honkytonk-babe3, NeverMindSoGo, and my Guest (BTW-what does bla mean?) Also, thank you to pokemonjkl, Detective-Yellow-Turtle, cocalovu, grapejuice101, White Fairy Writer, IceColdFever, honkytonk-babe3 and WolfAssassin369 for adding this story to story alert and your favorites! All of you are amazing and your support of this story means so much to me! Anyways, I am sorry for being gone so long, but you all know how writer's block goes! But spread the word about this story to your friends and readers, guys! Other than that, enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**_  
_

Chapter Twenty-Four

The four Turtles and Samantha were seated around the large, kitchen table, their various meals in plates in front of them. But instead of soda, each of the five friends had a wineglass filled with bubbly champagne.

"Before everyone chows down like ravenous wolves, I'd like to propose a toast," Samantha said, holding her wineglass in the air. The four mutant turtles followed suit. "To Bushido, my father, a great warrior and an even greater man who can now rest in peace."

"To Bushido!" everyone cheered as they clinked glasses and then sipped on their champagne.

"I'd like to propose another toast," Leonardo said, holding his glass up again. "To Master Yoshi, our beloved grandfather, beloved of our Sensei, Master Splinter, and another great man who can also now find peace."

"To Master Yoshi!" everyone chorused, clinking glasses again.

"Here's to never seeing the Shredder ever again!" Raph shouted, holding his glass up. They clinked glasses.

"Nice one, dude! Here's to New York City!" Mikey declared, glass aloft. Again, they did the same thing.

"Here's to Samantha, our beautiful, ninja princess, an amazing girl, and the avenger of both her father and our grandfather!" Don exclaimed, holding his still full-looking glass up.

"I'll drink to dat!" Raph crowed, clinking glasses with Don.

"I second the motion!" Mikey said, smiling and joining his glass with the two other ones.

"Got that right!" Leo added as his glass and Samantha's completed the group. "To Samantha!"

"To Samantha!" the three other turtles shouted, clinking glasses. Sam was, to say the very least, overwhelmed. She'd never expected any guys to be so caring and loving towards her unless there was something in it for them. But Don, Leo, Mikey and Raph were all toasting her, smiling at her, and the familial warmth was enough to make her want to burst into tears. She'd never expected to find another family after her own had been torn apart by death, but here they were. One of them was even her boyfriend. Maybe Yoshi had been right when, after she'd told him about how she would never and could never find another family in her own bloodline that would love her as much as her father had, he'd said: "Your family does not have to share blood with you to be called your family. They do not even have to share your humanity for them to be special to you and you to be valuable to them."

"Thanks, you guys. And finally, before we eat, here's to the four, sweetest, kindest, cutest and most amazing mutant ninja turtles I've ever met," Samantha said, smiling widely. "Turtles Forever!"

"Turtles Forever!" the four brothers shouted as, for the final time, they and their ninja princess friend clinked glasses.

"Now, let's eat! I'm starving!" Mikey shouted, grabbing a piece of fried chicken from his bucket and beginning to demolish it.

"Here here!" the others agreed.

Before Don's fork could reach his food, he felt a hand underneath his chin and his face being turned in Sam's direction. Sam leaned in and planted a soft, sweet kiss smack on his lips. Don cupped her face in his hands as he kissed her back, his heart beating so rapidly, he thought it would burst out of his chest. Samantha felt like she floating on Cloud Nine until something collided with her head.

"Hey!" she said, breaking away from Don and looking around the table to find the guilty party.

"None of that kissy-face stuff while I'm eating!" Mikey told them, wagging his fork at them. The tone in his voice made Sam almost certain that Mikey had launched…what had he launched at them? She looked around the table and the surrounding floor area and then saw a balled-up napkin lying nearby.

"While **any** of us are eating!" Raph amended, giving Mikey a hard look. "Shell for Brains here ain't de only one who doesn't want to be watching Tonsil Hockey while he's tryin' to enjoy a meal!"

"That goes double for me," Leo jumped in. "Samantha, you may be like my sister, and Donny, you're my bro, but there's a time and a place for everything; including shoving your tongue down your girlfriend's throat. So, can we enjoy this meal in peace?"

"Alright. Alright. Sheesh! Didn't know you guys felt so strongly about this!" Samantha apologized.

"Well, we do. And don't ya forget it, Princess!" Raph warned her. "'Cause if ya do, **I'm** gonna be throwing something at yer head dat's a lot harder!"

"And when you do, if I find so much as find a bruise on my girlfriend's head, Raph, you're gonna wonder what the shell hit you by the time I'm done with you!" Don fired back defensively, putting his hand on Samantha's shoulder. The two brothers stared each other down. Samantha and Leo exchanged looks and tried their hardest not to groan. Suddenly, Samantha couldn't wait to get to her room and go to bed. At least in her bedroom, two, mutant turtle brothers wouldn't be giving each other the look of death.

* * *

Samantha awoke some hours later in her bed feeling refreshed and relaxed. She rolled over onto her side and looked at the alarm clock that was on the small night-table. 11:30 a.m. Wow! Had she slept so late before? She couldn't remember doing something like this unless it was the holidays, and even then, she was usually up by 10 a.m. Suddenly, she gasped. The guys! They were probably wondering where the shell she was! _Great! _ Samantha thought to herself in amusement. _Now I'm starting to talk like them!_

Quickly showering, she tossed on a pair of black track pants and a red tank top. Her hair was still wet and slick from the shower, but she decided to leave it and let the air be her blow-dryer for the day. Hurrying down the stairs, she caught a whiff of something that smelled absolutely divine. She stopped and inhaled the scent deeply. It smelled like warm, freshly-made Belgian waffles. Following the smell to the kitchen, she opened her eyes and saw the kitchen table set for five with tumblers of orange juice, a bowl of sliced strawberries and one with blueberries, a plate with some butter in the center, and a red rose in a white vase.

"Surprise!" the four turtles shouted, causing Samantha to almost jump into the air and grab the fan that hung from the ceiling.

"W-w-what is all this?" she stammered, looking around in shock. Leo smiled and gently took her hand, leading her over to the table.

"It's a surprise breakfast! For **you**, dudette!" Mikey exclaimed. He was beside the kitchen stove handling the waffle maker. Next to him, Raph was stirring a bowl of pale batter.

"I-I-I don't get it!" Samantha said, looking confused. "Why?"

"You've been such a gracious hostess to us that we decided to do something to show our appreciation," Don explained, pulling out a chair for her. She sat down and smiled at her ninja turtle boyfriend as he brought over a plate of steaming, fresh waffles.

"After you went to bed last night, we got together and decided that we should do something to show t' show our appreciation to ya. Ya know, fer being such a cool hostess and all," Raph told her, bringing over five glasses from the cabinet.

"Donny and Leo were the ones who came up with the whole breakfast thing," Mikey added, turning the waffle over with a spatula before reaching for a bottle of maple syrup on the shelf. He grabbed it and then tossed it to Leo, who caught with ease and set it down on the table.

"You two are seriously too much sometimes," Samantha chuckled, shaking her head as she got up from the table. She hugged Leo and then kissed his cheek lightly but sweetly enough to make him feel slightly dizzy. Turning her back, she hurried over to Don.

"Hey. Keep yer balance, Fearless!" Raph teased silently, as he set the table. "Don't wanna let yer girlfriend see ya fall on da floor like an idiot, now do ya?" That comment alone was enough to bring Leo crashing back down to Earth like a meteorite.

"Get real, Hothead!" Leo hissed back. His eyes fell on Samantha, who was kissing Don as though her life depended on it. And from the way his arms held her tightly against his body, how his lips seemed to brush fiercely over her own, Don wasn't going to end this just because his brothers were watching them.

"Yer jealous, aren't ya?" Raph said.

"Get a grip, Raphael. I don't get jealous," Leo snorted. _Especially not in front of you since you can read me like a book!_ he thought silently to himself in his head. Raph took a long, hard look at his eldest brother.

"Could've fooled me, Fearless," was all he said as he turned back to his task. Don and Sam finally broke apart, and she sat back down at the table as Mikey waltzed towards them, whistling a merry tune and carrying a large stack of delicious-looking, mouth-watering waffles.

"Mademoiselle. Your breakfast," Mikey said, bowing deeply from the waist.

"You know you guys are helping me with this, right?" Samantha told them. "Because I can't be rolling out the front door on my date tonight."

"Date?" Mikey, Leo and Raph repeated, looking at each other in confusion before looking at Don.

"Exactly **where **are you taking Samantha, Donatello?" Leo inquired, smiling.

"And what time are ya planning to bring her home, Turtle Einstein?" Raph inquired, smirking.

"Guys! It's not me who's taking her out tonight!" Don protested.

"Well, then…who is it?" Mikey questioned, looking seriously stumped.

"It's this guy who goes to NYU," Samantha answered. "This was way before Donny and I got together," she added, feeling the hard looks she was getting from Leo and Raph. "And I didn't even agree to the date."

"What the shell are ya talking about?" Raph asked, scratching his head.

"Well, remember when we first met Casey? That night, there was a gala going on that I was invited to, but I didn't tell Uncle Kenji about it because I knew he'd make me go to it instead of help you guys. So, later, he found out that I'd been not only invited to the gala, but that a guy had asked to be my escort for the evening. He said the guy was so upset that Uncle Kenji told him he could take me out this weekend to make up for missing the gala. And I have no say in the matter whatsoever. I **have** to go."

"And the name of this guy is?" Leo prodded.

"Marcus Danielson the Third," Samantha replied. The kitchen went deathly silent. She knew that Don would be holding his tongue at the mention of Marcus Danielson the Third, but why were the others suddenly so quiet?

"You mean that Richie Rich kid whose father got killed by diamond traders?" Raph inquired in shock.

"Grandson of Marcus Danielson, founder and CEO of M.D. Co.?" Leo jumped in.

"The guy who made the cover of _US Weekly_ when he dated that hot Victoria's Secret fashion model, Lynette Broussard?" Mikey added, coming over and taking a seat beside Samantha.

"Wait. He dated a Vic Secret model?" Samantha inquired. "I never knew that."

"It only lasted two weeks. Dat guy's got a reputation for not being able to stick to one woman," Raph growled. "I'd be careful if I were you, Samantha." The use of her full name alone told the ninja princess that Raphael was being 100% serious about what he was saying.

"Thanks, Raphael. I…" Samantha began to say, but then a paper sticking out of Mikey's belt caught her attention.

"Mikey. What's that paper?" she asked. Mikey looked down at the paper and then drew it out of his belt to hide in his shell.

"I-I-I-it's…nothing," he stammered.

"Nothing, huh? Gimme that!" Raph said, snatching the paper out of Mikey's hand. Don and Leo crowded around along with Sam while Mikey sat on the outskirts looking horrified. It was a picture that Mikey had drawn of him and his brothers. However, the capes and boots and the outfits that Samantha saw on them made them look like…comic book superheroes.

"What is this? The Nin-Justice League?" Raph teased.

"More like the Shelltastic Four!" Don joked.

"The Legion of Sewer Heroes!" Leo chuckled. That last one had almost everybody laughing except Sam and Mikey.

"Well, hardy-harr! Even our level-headed leader gets a funny in!" Mikey snapped, snatching the picture back from his three, older brothers before he stormed off.

"What's the big deal? It's just a drawing," Samantha said in Mikey's defense.

"Mikey's been reading too many Silver Sentry comic books again, Princess!" Raph told her simply.

"Actually, he's been going on and on about us becoming superheroes and dealing out justice for the helpless and innocent," Don explained. "Ever since he saw the Silver Sentry save a little girl from a burning building and put out the fire at said building, he's been on us to don capes and masks and fight for good and for justice."

"But that would mean exposing ourselves out in the open, risking our identities and our paths as ninjas," Leo added. "Ninjas are about stealth and secrecy. We can't be ninjas if we're flying around in the open."

"I suppose not," Samantha agreed. "But that doesn't give you guys the right to laugh at Mikey's dreams." The three brothers hung their heads.

"Sorry, Sam," Don apologized.

"**I'm** not the only you need to apologize to, Donatello. Raph, go find Mikey and bring him back so that we can eat breakfast. Or is it lunch? Anyways, Marcus is gonna be here at 7 p.m. sharp, and God knows, I'm gonna need all the time in the world to get ready to face that jerk.

* * *

The Turtles were waiting for Samantha to finish preparing for her date. Don couldn't believe how quickly the day had gone by. After breakfast, the four brothers helped Samantha study for her psychology test by quizzing her and then, they'd hung out by the pool four a few hours (Mikey splashing Raph four times in a row and then Raph holding Mikey's head underwater for the longest time possible). Then, she'd cooked the guys some barbeque chicken with spareribs and potato salad. Now, it was 6:45 p.m., and Samantha was in her private bathroom, getting ready for her date.

"Hurry up, Sammy!" Mikey whined. "You're burning nighttime!"

"Geez, Mikey. We'll get to patrolling soon enough," Leo chided. "What's gotten into you?"

"Uh…nothing! Sorry! Probably just ate too much barbeque chicken!"

"OK! I'm ready!" Samantha called out. Then, the door opened and the young woman came gliding out.

Samantha was wearing a beautiful ruby-red dress that stopped just above her knees. It was a halter neck which showed off her chest (in a modest way) and accentuated her curves. On her feet, she wore three-inch, Jimmy Choo sling backs in black. Her hair was loosed and curled, her bangs falling delicately into her eyes.

All the four brothers could do was stare at her. They'd never seen a human girl dress up so… so… so…_beautifully._ She looked like a magazine model come to life. Donatello could hardly believe that this goddess was his girlfriend. It made him feel like he was the ruler of the world. Sure, his extremely high intellect already gave him a boost in confidence, but being backed by a girl like Samantha made Donatello feel so elevated, it was like being royalty.

"So, what do you think?" she inquired, spinning around and then stopping after a full 360 turn. She placed her hands on her hips.

"Wow! Sammy, you look HOT!" Mikey exclaimed, running forward and hugging the young woman. She chuckled and failed to notice the scathing looks that appeared on Don's and Leo's faces.

"It's just a dress, Mikey!" she laughed as he set her back down, her heels clicking against the marble floor. "But I'm glad you like it."

"He's not de only one, Princess. But I think Marcus will like it better if ya ain't wearing the dress," Raph told her bluntly. "I know I would."

"Raph! That was completely inappropriate!" Leo scolded. Raph rolled his eyes.

"Boys!" Samantha sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "Even when they're mutants, they're still the same!"

"Hey! Even mutant turtles have hormones, you know!" Don reminded her. "Especially when they're teenagers!"

"I know that, my turtle genius!" she shot back playfully. Three sets of turtle eyes landed on Don, who blushed and looked away. Samantha almost slapped her hand to her forehead. She'd forgotten that the others save Mikey didn't know about her nickname for Donatello. She felt bad for embarrassing him like this in front of his brothers.

"My turtle genius?" Leo repeated, smirking at Don.

"Shut up!" snapped a beet-red faced Don.

"Anyways," Sam cut in to prevent a fight between her two favorite Turtles. "I want you guys to trust me for tonight. I can handle myself around Marcus Danielson III. You guys focus on being the ninja defenders of justice that you are. There are other people out there who'll need you more than me. For tonight at least."

"Defenders of justice? I can live with that!" Mikey exclaimed, leaping into his "superhero" pose. Leo clapped a hand over his eyes and groaned. Don and Raph rolled their eyes.

"Did you have to say "defenders of justice", Samantha?" Leo asked her, not wanting to bring up the entire conversation they'd had earlier about the whole superhero debacle.

"It was the only way to make patrolling sound interesting to Mikey, my Fearless leader," she answered. Leo quickly looked away from the smirks his brothers were throwing him, especially Don's. Samantha felt a bit of relief. At least Leo couldn't tease her boyfriend about the name she'd given him. She walked over to her closet and selected a black, beaded clutch from an array of handbags on a shelf. She strolled over to her vanity and opened a drawer. Placing in it her Shell-cell, some cash, a container of Tictacs, a small mirror, a tanto (Leonardo gave her a stern look which she ignored), and some lip-gloss, she shut the bag and held it tightly in her hand, smiling at the four brothers.

"Well… have fun on patrol," she said.

"Ya ain't gotta worry about dat, Princess," Raph said, smirking. He stroked his sais lovingly. "I _always_ end up having fun."

"Do I wanna know?" she asked, looking at Leo.

"No, you don't," Leo answered, trying to hide a chuckle.

"And **you** have fun with Marcus what's-his-name!" Mikey said, rushing at Sam again and giving her another huge hug. "But not **too** much fun!" he added slyly, winking at her when he put her back down. Sam felt her cheeks go red with embarrassment.

"Don't worry, _chérie_," Don whispered to her as he hugged her tightly. "I'll get him when he's asleep. By the way, you look stunning. Like a rose in mid-May."

"Thanks, Don," she replied, planting a quick peck on his lips.

"You'll be fine, Samantha," Leo reassured her, smiling kindly at her.

"Knock 'im dead, Princess," Raph said encouragingly. "Either literally or figuratively. It doesn't matter to me."

"Thanks. I'll see you guys later," Samantha said, smiling as she closed the door behind her.

"C'mon, guys," Leo said, walking out of their friend's room and onto the balcony. "We've got patrolling to do."

"Wait! We're not **actually** leaving Sammy unprotected, are we?" Mikey asked. "I mean, we don't know what this Marcus guy's capable of. We can't just leave her to be vulnerable like that."

"He's got a point," Don seconded. "Wow. Did I just say that?"

"Dere's a first time for everything," Raph told him.

"Guys, you heard Samantha," Leo reminded them. "She doesn't need us tonight. Besides, she's a ninja. She can take care of herself. Meanwhile, there might be someone else in New York who can't protect themselves as well as her and **does** need us."

"I never thought I'd see da day dat Fearless would ditch his girlfriend for a nightly patrol!" Raph snapped, crossing his arms and looking extremely angry.

"She's not my girlfriend, Raph!" Leo snapped back, rolling his eyes. _Good!_ Don thought silently. _Keep it that way! Because I know how much you like her, bro. And I'm not gonna lose the best thing other than my family that's ever happened to me!_

"Look, Mikey's right," Raph argued. "Suppose dis Marcus guy is a no-good piece o' scum? He might try to slip something into her drink or whatever. We gotta be there to protect her, Leo. It's a matter o' honor."

"At least one of us should be there watching her," Don suggested. "We could rotate shifts until she's back here, safe and sound."

"Alright. But we stick to the shadows," Leo ordered. "I don't want her to see us. We'll keep in contact via Shell-cell. And **nobody** deserts their post until the next Turtle comes. And if there's any trouble, wait for the rest of us to get there."

"Done. I'll take first watch," Don offered.

"I'll take the next," Mikey said.

"Guess I'm taking the third," Raph observed.

"Fine. I'll make sure she gets home safe," Leo said. Then, he drew a headset out of the Shell-cell and put it on. "Shell-cell headsets on, boys. We've got some patrolling to do."

"And a girl to watch over," Mikey added, putting on his headset. "Hey! Does that make us, like, guardian angels or something?"

Leo and Don groaned while Raph landed his signature smack to the back of Mikey's head before Leo, Raph and Mikey set out to patrol while Don headed for the roof to take the first watch in guarding his girlfriend.

* * *

_Meanwhile at Foot Headquarters..._

Oroku Saki was sitting before the large screen he used to make conference calls. The associate he'd spoken to earlier was sitting behind an impressive mahogany desk in his private study. The man was wealthy, extremely so. But he was also always hungry for more, money, more risks and more gambles in life, which served Saki's purpose.

"I trust you've explained to your…_man_ the importance of this mission," Saki said to his associate.

"Trust me, Oroku. He knows all that he needs to," the associate replied. "He may be a playboy, but he isn't daft. In fact, he's quite clever."

"He has the address?"

"Of course. The large Islet Company warehouse down by the piers. He's to call the number he has in his pocket from the burn phone I gave him and make contact with your point man. They'll come to the rendezvous meeting place and take the girl off his hands. And after that…"

"You will be well-rewarded for your services. You **and** your young… apprentice."

"Thank you. If I may ask, what is so important about Samantha Bushido that you're willing to risk committing several criminal offences to kidnap her right off the streets?"

"That does not concern you. Sufficient to say, the Bushido girl has something I want. And you had better hope that your young man doesn't screw things up."

"Have faith, man! If there's one thing I've learned in the business world, it's this: if a man's word is useless, then his money's even more useless. And it has never been said that Marcus Danielson has ever broken his word, **Mr. Saki**. So, don't fret. My grandson and I have everything under control."

"For your sake and his, Danielson, you had better hope so!"

**So, Marcus's grandfather is Saki's associate! Uh-oh! But what is their plan? Will it succeed? And what about Mikey's superhero dream? Stay tuned to find out what happens next! So, you guys know how important reviews are to me! So, start using that little button at the bottom of the screen...now!**


	25. Chapter 25

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**So, a huge thanks to my fabulous and faithful reviewers: pokemonjkl, IceColdFever, grapejuice101 and NeverMindSoGo for reviewing! Also thanks to Shellspectacular for adding this story to your favs and grapejuice101 for adding it to your story alert. Remember, everyone: reviews are what keep me going, so review when you read this! So, Samantha's going on a date with Marcus. But what she doesn't know is that she has a chaperone with her. But let's get on with the story and see what happens, shall we? Enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**_  
_

Chapter Twenty-Five

Samantha was coming gingerly down the stairs when she heard the doorbell ring. Lucas, their butler, crossed the marble floor to answer it.

"How may I help you, young man?" he asked civilly.

"I'm here to take Miss Bushido out to dinner, my good man," she heard the familiar, charming voice of Marcus Danielson the Third reply politely. She felt like gagging. Here was this jerk pretending to be nice so that he could fly under the radar of suspicion.

"Miss Samantha? Mr. Marcus Danielson the Third here to see you," Lucas replied, his British accent clipped and precise. He was young and tall with a slim figure. He was blond-haired with brown eyes and had lived in the UK for all his life until he'd immigrated to the States a few years ago after graduating from college.

"Hello, Marcus," Sam greeted coolly. Marcus was wearing an impressive, black tuxedo with a pristine, white shirt underneath his jacket. His shoes were polished and shined brightly in the light of the overhanging chandelier. On his left wrist, Sam could see a diamond-encrusted Rolex watch glittering. In his right hand, Marcus was holding a bouquet of red roses.

"Hey, Samantha. These are for you," he replied, holding out the roses. "I hope you like them." She took them and sniffed them. They were fresh and smelled beautiful. Well, at least the guy had class.

"Thank you," she replied in the same, cool tone. "They're lovely. Lucas," she said, handing the flowers to the butler. "Could you please put them in a vase for me?"

"Certainly, Miss Samantha," Lucas answered, bowing and then heading off to accomplish his assigned task. Just then, she heard a door slam upstairs and footsteps on the carpeted floor above her head.

"Ah, Marcus! It's a pleasure to see you again!" Uncle Kenji shouted from the top of the staircase. Samantha turned and smiled at her uncle, begging him with her eyes to save her from this date.

"And you as well, Mr. Kenji, sir," Marcus responded warmly.

"Please. Call me Uncle Kenji," Uncle Kenji chuckled.

"Please don't," Samantha muttered under her breath.

"Huh?" Marcus inquired, looking at her. "Did you say something, Sam?"

"I…uh, was just wondering if I'll need a coat," Samantha lied.

"Don't worry, Sam," Marcus chuckled, putting a warm hand on her shoulder. "It's a warm night. You'll be fine. Besides, I have my jacket in the car in case you get cold."

"What a gentleman," Uncle Kenji laughed. "Now, you kids go and have a good time, now."

"Yes, Mr.…er, _Uncle _Kenji," Marcus replied, putting his hand on the small of Samantha's back and steering her towards the door. "What time should I have her home by?"

"11 o'clock. 11:30 at the latest."

"Will do. It was nice seeing you again." Then, he and Samantha were out the door and headed towards a parked, black Mercedes that sat shining in the moonlight.

"I had the driver fix it up before I drove it here to pick you up," Marcus told her. "Only the best for me and my girl."

"Let's get one thing straight from now, Marcus Danielson the Third: I may be going on a date with you, but I am **not** and never will be **your girl**!" Samantha snapped at him. Stunned, Marcus recovered his senses long enough to open the passenger door for his date. And as she slid inside the sleek car, Marcus thought, _Oh, you'll be my girl, Samantha Bushido. By the end of the night, you'll be mine…whether you know it or not!_

* * *

From his position on the rooftop, Donatello watched as Marcus Danielson the Third opened the passenger side door for Samantha. He'd heard what she'd said to him and silently applauded his young, human girlfriend. Most girls he suspected would've swooned and fallen head over heels for a young man like Marcus Danielson picking them up in an expensive car, bringing them roses (yes, he'd seen the roses in the jerk's hand when he'd gotten out of the car) and whisking them away to some five-star restaurant in the city. Don was proud to know that his girlfriend wasn't "most girls". He'd begun feeling the same things he had before Sam and he had become a couple: that he'd never win her heart if he was competing with Leo, that he wasn't good enough for her. Except now, his competition was a rich, handsome who was human like his girlfriend. And although Don felt a huge wave of relief wash over him, he could sense that Marcus was a guy who was used to his fair share of rejections, which left him worried about what that rich kid might do to his beloved Samantha to turn the tide in his favor.

* * *

"The finest champagne you have, my good sir," Marcus said to the young waiter. The blond-haired, muscular waiter nodded and walked away. Samantha couldn't help but check him out. Damn, he was cute! But then she remembered her cute, ninja turtle boyfriend and quickly looked down at the fancy menu in her lap.

"Checking out the merchandise, Samantha?" Marcus teased. She looked up and shot him an icy glare. Marcus coughed nervously and looked back down at his own menu. The restaurant was a beautiful Italian bistro in The Village with a warm fire, red walls and musicians playing waltzes and sonatas in a corner of the establishment. No doubt this place was expensive to eat at, but Samantha couldn't help but admire it. She wanted to bring Don here and have a romantic dinner with him, just the two of them together, her face bathed in the candlelight, staring into his warm, gorgeous eyes. It would be paradise on Earth.

"So…have you seen anything you want yet?" Marcus inquired.

"Nope. Not yet."

"Listen. Sam. About…about this whole date thing, I…I'm sorry I kind of tricked your uncle into it." She looked up and was trying her best to hide her shock. Was Marcus Danielson the Third, NYU's most desirable bachelor, apologizing to her for forcing her to go out with him?

"It's OK, Marcus. You don't need to apologize." Wait. Had she **actually **just said that?

"It's just…I really do want to show you that I'm not such a bad guy."

"Yeah. Breaking girls' hearts is what good guys do all the time, right?"

"Look. I…I need to explain my behavior to you."

* * *

Don watched the two teenagers from the skylight of the restaurant. Thankfully, not only was a section of the skylight open, but he'd also managed to slip a small listening device in the shape of a small, dark spider inside the restaurant. It was now currently residing on the tablecloth underneath Samantha's table.

"Look. I…I need to explain my behavior to you," Don heard Marcus say through the separate headset he'd brought that partnered with his little listening device.

"Hmm! There's a scientific explanation for being a player?" Don snorted.

"Wait a second. There's a scientific explanation for being a player?" Sam inquired sarcastically.

"That's my girl!" Don whispered silently. Just then, his Shell-cell rang.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hey, Donny," Leo said. "It's Leo. How are things looking?"

"As great as they can be, seeing how my girlfriend is on a date with someone who's not me and that her "date" is about to offer up an explanation for his "womanizing" ways," Don replied. "How are things on your end?"

"Not too bad. The city's pretty quiet so far," Leo informed him. "It's actually getting Raph angry. He wants to hit something or some_one_. He says it's because he's bored, but I think it's because he and Paulina kinda had a fight."

"Ow! I pity the poor sucker who ends up getting his butt kicked by Raph tonight! He's gonna need a lot of vacation time to heal from the injuries!"

"You're telling me. Anyways, Mikey should be coming soon to take over from you. He's on your side of town."

"Alright. I'll call him in about ten minutes. Then, once he gets here, I'll come and join you guys."

"OK. We'll probably be done Long Island by then, so meet us in Brooklyn close to the Brooklyn Museum."

"Got it. See ya then." Leo hung up the phone and Don then turned back on his headset to hear what sort of explanation Marcus would come up with to try and fool Don's genius girlfriend.

* * *

"So, I suppose you know that my father was killed by diamond traders?" Marcus said. Samantha nodded.

"Well, what a lot of people don't know is that…I was there when it happened," Marcus confessed. Samantha felt her jaw drop open.

"You…you…you were?"

"Yeah. It happened when I was twelve. My mother died two years before that from breast cancer. My father had just returned from making a huge deal with some Middle Eastern traders when the door was broken down and men with M-16s and AK-47s came bursting into the house. My father hustled me into the bedroom closet just before they came upstairs. Through a crack in the door, I saw three, tall, men wearing Armani suits, their weapons pointed at my father. They told him that someone had told the police about their illegal diamond shipping business and now, their shipments were being confiscated, their associates arrested, and they were fearful that the authorities would find them and have them brought before the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity as most of the workers were often tortured and enslaved.

My father swore he had nothing to do with it, but they didn't believe him. They told him that one of their friends had sworn to them that he was the one who'd betrayed them in exchange for immunity. My father didn't say another word; either because he really did do it or because he was too shocked to say anything. It didn't matter anyways. There was a loud _BANG!_ And my father was on the ground, bleeding. One of the men, dark-haired and with a tattoo of a cobra on his face, came and pumped two rounds into my father's heart to make sure he was dead. Then, they left, just walking out as though they hadn't just shot a man in cold blood. I stayed in that closet until the police came and found me. I was shaking. There was so much blood on the floor. I almost threw up. I refused to identify the men, who'd murdered my father, let alone testify against them. I'd seen what they could do, and I didn't want that happening to me.

I was placed under the care of my grandfather. He was kind and everything, but the guilt I felt over choosing to save my own skin rather than avenge my father ate at me. Then, when I was fifteen, I started breaking hearts so that people wouldn't know how broken I was. I started acting tough to hide the fact that I was scared out of my skull. I do the things I do to hide the pain and grief and anger that I feel everyday when I think about my father and how he'll never get justice because his son is nothing but a coward."

"Marcus…" Samantha began to say, but then she stopped. She couldn't find the words to say after hearing all of that.

"I don't expect you to feel sorry for me or anything, Sam. I…I just thought I owed you an explanation."

"Marcus, don't worry. I'm really sorry about your father. And I'm really sorry for being so rude to you. I didn't know."

"I'm not a bad guy, Samantha. I've just…had a pretty hard life."

"You and me both."

"You lost your father, too?"

"Yeah. He was…killed in a fire."

"Oh, geez. I'm sorry. And your mother?"

"She died after I was born."

"I'm sorry, Sam." Just then, the waiter returned.

* * *

"Hey, Brainiac!" Mikey greeted, leaping onto the roof next to the skylight. "What's up?"

"Nothing really," Don said bitterly. "Just him sharing the sob story of his life and her eating it all up!"

"You're not jealous, are ya, Donny?" Mikey questioned, sounding a bit worried.

"Yeah right! C'mon Mikey! Jealousy's an irrational emotion!" Don scoffed, looking down at the teenagers.

"Look. If even if she **does** buy whatever story he pulled out of his butt, she still chose **you** over him, Donny," Mikey reminded him. "She's with you now, Donatello. Don't forget that. Other guys are gonna stare and marvel at your girlfriend. Get used to it. But also get used to the fact that no matter what they say or do, in her mind, you're the only guy that's gonna matter to her. Other than us, of course."

"Thanks, bro. I needed that."

"No prob. Now, get your shell to Brooklyn before Raph pounds all the thugs and doesn't leave you any!" Mikey told him, laughing. Don chuckled and then hurried off across the rooftops to Brooklyn.

"Shell!" he muttered, realizing that he still had the listening device headset on. "I should've given it to Mikey! Oh well! He can keep an eye her the old-fashioned way!" he thought aloud to himself as he hurried off to Brooklyn.

* * *

"Your champagne, sir," the waiter said, setting the ice-cold bottle down on the table. He proceeded to take out a corkscrew and pop the cork off of the bottle. The liquid foamed and bubbled a little over the neck of the bottle. Samantha smiled as the waiter poured some of the liquid into her wineglass before turning to Marcus and doing the same. Just then, her purse dropped onto the floor.

"I'll get it," Sam said to Marcus, and she bent over to pick up her purse.

* * *

Mikey saw Samantha drop her purse onto the floor, but just then, he looked up and saw Silver Sentry flying by.

"Hey! Silver Sentry!" Mikey yelled, waving his arms and trying to his attention. However, the legendary superhero turned, saw Mikey, shot him an icy glare and then kept flying towards the piers. Mikey lowered his arms. Why hadn't Silver Sentry said hi to him? Usually, he was polite and friendly, not cold and distant. And what was with his red, glowing eyes? Something was up with the superhero and Mikey was going to find out what. Looking back down through the skylight, Mikey saw Samantha clink glasses with Marcus before taking a drink of her champagne. He quickly turned off his Shell-cell headset.

"Sammy will be fine," Mikey said to himself. "But right now, it looks like Silver Sentry needs help from…Turtle Titan!" he declared, putting his hands on his hips in a bold, "superhero" pose. He leapt onto the fire escape below and rummaged through the bag he'd brought with his equipment. A few minutes later, Turtle Titan was racing across the city to, unbeknownst to him, save the Silver Sentry from a most diabolical and hated enemy.

* * *

Samantha had just started eating her chicken alfredo when she felt her head spinning. What was going on? And when had the restaurant turned on the air conditioning to full blast? She was freezing.

"Samantha? Are you alright?" Marcus asked her, but she could barely hear what he was saying. It was as though she was fazing in and out of consciousness.

"M…M….Marc…"she began to say, but she couldn't say the rest of his name. It was as if her tongue was heavy. She was feeling woozy, like she was going to pass out any second. She lightly felt Marcus's arm around her shoulders as he helped her up. She stumbled and wobbled. It was as though her balance was gone. The waiter came rushing over, Marcus said a few things, and then, he was practically carrying her out of the restaurant. The last thing she remembered before she blacked out was Marcus putting her in his car and telling her that everything was going to be fine.

* * *

"Samantha? Are you alright?" Marcus asked her. Those four words made Don halt in his tracks on the rooftop in Brooklyn. His brothers hadn't noticed that he'd stopped, but he didn't care. All that mattered right now was his girl.

"M…M…Marc…" Don heard Samantha say, but her voice was slurring. That was odd. Even if the champagne contained alcohol in it, she should still have been able to say Marcus's name. Don felt something inside him freeze.

"Sir? What's going on?" he heard someone ask. It sounded like the waiter he'd seen earlier who'd gone to fetch the champagne.

"My date's feeling a little sick, so I'm bringing her back to my house to sleep it off," Marcus replied in a loud voice. Why was he talking so loudly to a waiter? Unless he just wanted to show off and make the patrons think that he was such a good boyfriend.

"My thanks to you for your services, my good man," he told the waiter. "I'll see to it that you are well rewarded for your work tonight."

Don's eye ridges raised. Usually, a guy like Marcus Danielson the Third would've been down the throats of the help. Why was he suddenly being so polite and kind?

"Oh dear! She doesn't look too well!" said a woman's voice. "Maybe we should call an ambulance!"

"No, no! Relax. It's just a little dizziness, some slurred taking and a bit of clumsiness from indulging in too much champagne!" Marcus chuckled.

"But she's shivering!" the same woman's voice said.

"It's a little drafty in this place," Marcus replied. "Now, don't fret yourself, good woman. I guarantee that she's in good hands. Come on, Samantha." That was the last thing Don heard before they were out of range of the listening device. He quickly knelt down and dug out a handheld computer device and quickly typed in the symptoms he'd heard the woman and Marcus rattle off.

"Dizziness, chills, slurred speech, loss of balance," he muttered, waiting for the results to come in. Finally, the search results came up and Don almost fainted when he saw the top five. Just then, Leo and Raph returned to the rooftop he was still on.

"Yo, Donny! You gonna stand dere all night and…? What's wrong, bro?" Raph asked, noticing the horrified look on his brother's face.

"Yeah, Donny," Leo agreed. "You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

"Quick! Where does Marcus Danielson the Third live?" Don asked them.

"With his old man's old man out on Long Island," Raph answered. "I've even seen de house myself when I'm out on patrol dere."

"Good! Take me there!" Don ordered, brushing past Raph and Leo.

"Huh? Why?" Raph inquired.

"Because I'm going to kick the shell out of him!" Don snarled angrily.

"Whoa! Slow down there, Donny!" Leo told his younger brother. "Look. I know you don't like the fact that Marcus asked your girlfriend on a date, but…"

"You don't get it! You don't understand!" Don roared, rounding on his brothers. Leo and Raph just stared at him. What was with Donny? They'd **never** seen him like this.

"Then tell us what's wrong, Don," Leo said to his brother calmly. "And we'll help you anyway we can."

"That bastard Marcus Danielson the Third just drugged my girlfriend, and now, he's taking her back to his house to** _rape_** her!"

**Dun dun dun! So, for those of you who foresaw this, kudos to you! Will Marcus succeed in his wicked scheme? Will Shredder _finally_ get Samantha in his grasp? Will Donatello be able to get to his girlfriend in time? Stay tune for all the answers! So, the next chapter should be up soon, but in the mean time, reviews are much appreciated! Thanks! **


	26. Chapter 26

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**The next chapter is here! Enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**_  
_

Chapter Twenty-Six

"WHAT?" Leo shouted.

"Oh shell no!" Raph growled, whipping out his sais.

"Don? Are you sure about this?" Leo inquired. His rational side was trying to stay afloat as the beast within him told him to throw rationale and reasoning out the window and track down the lowlife scumbag who'd dared to try and take away something that Leo knew was precious to a lot of girls, especially at Samantha's age.

"Positive," Don replied, holding out his device. "I planted a listening device inside the restaurant and eavesdropped on the entire conversation. It was after she drank the champagne and just when she started eating that Marcus said she was dizzy, cold, talking with a slurred voice and losing her balance. I typed all four of those things and the top five results are all the list of symptoms and signs of having ingested gamma hydroxybutyrate."

"Gamma hydro-what?" Raph asked, looking confused.

"Gamma hydroxybutyrate," Don repeated. "Or, as it's more common called, GHB."

"GHB? Isn't that a…?" Leo began to ask.

"Date rape drug? Yeah," Don answered grimly, gritting his teeth.

"We'd better call Mikey and see if he's got any more info," Leo said, pulling out his Shell-cell and dialing Mikey's number. The phone rang and rang and rang.

"Mikey's not answering his Shell-cell," Leo said, hanging up.

"What? He's supposed to be watching Samantha!" Donny raved, his anger boiling over. "Where the shell is that idiotic brother of ours? If he's goofing off, I swear that when I'm through with Marcus, Mikey's next in line to his shell shellacked!"

"Take it easy, Don!" Leo advised, putting a gentle hand on his brother's shoulder. "We just need to keep calm."

"Calm? How can I be calm when my girlfriend is probably being raped right now as we speak?" Don demanded, seizing his brother by the shoulders and shaking him. "Maybe **you** don't care about her…!" Just then, Leo ripped Don's hands off his shoulders and the two brothers stared at each other eye-to-eye.

"Don't you **dare** tell me I don't care about her!" Leo growled. How dare he assume that just because **he **was Samantha's boyfriend that Leo had somehow stopped caring about her! He still loved Sam, and there was a part of him that would probably always love her, no matter what. He wanted to wring Marcus's Richie Rich boy neck just as much as Don did. There were a few more moments of staring before Don finally looked away first.

"Raph. Lead the way," Don told his older brother.

"My pleasure," Raph said, going to the edge of the rooftop. "C'mon! Let's go kick that rich little rapist's sorry ass!"

* * *

Marcus's cell phone began ringing. Looking beyond annoyed, he picked it up and answered it.

"Yes, Grandpa? What is it?" he asked.

"Do you have the girl?" Marcus's grandfather inquired.

"Yes. I have the girl," Marcus replied, gazing at the unconscious form of Samantha beside him in the car.

"Then, make contact with our…_friend's_ point man and get that girl off your hands, boy! The sooner you're rid of her, the sooner we can collect our reward!"

"Yes, Grandfather."

"Don't fail me, Marcus." Then, the phone line went dead. Marcus scrolled through the short list of contacts on the burn phone his grandfather had given him to use in temporary place of his Iphone 4S. He saw the number and stopped on it. All he had to do was contact this "mystery man", take Samantha down to the piers close to Islet Warehouse, and then wait for him to come and take the girl off his hands. But then, when would he ever get another opportunity like this with this girl? He looked over at her, undressing her with his eyes. She was still breathing, her chest rising ever so slightly. He reached out a hand and skimmed her breasts lightly with the tips of his fingers. Shivering with pleasure, his hand drifted down her body from her chest to her stomach. She was probably still fresh too. It had been a while since he'd been with someone…untouched. And he wasn't about to wait another two years for one to find him. He exited the contacts and turned off the phone.

"Sorry, Grandpa," he said aloud to himself. "Your friend and his point man are gonna have to wait for their little plaything. **I** wanna play with her first."

* * *

"Dere it is," Raph said, pointing to a tall, white-painted mansion. Standing six full stories high and as wide as four football fields, the Danielson mansion was guarded by a spiked, iron fence and numerous security cameras. There was a light twinkling in the bay window on the far left of the house.

"And there they are," Don added, pointing to a black Mercedes that cruised into the driveway quietly and stealthily. His teeth gritted and his hands were clenched in fists.

"Let's move," Leo commanded. Stealthily, the three ninja brothers managed to avoid the cameras and were soon on the roof of the house, looking down at the young man who was getting out of the car. He went around the front and opened the passenger's side of the car. He pulled out a stumbling and groggy-looking girl in a red dress and black heels. Don felt his heart being torn to shreds when he saw the girl he loved in the arms of some cocky, womanizing, rich punk! But what happened next made Don want to leap down from the roof and pummel the sorry bastard into the ground. Marcus smashed his lips against Samantha's, grabbing her face in his hands and shoving his body up against hers, pushing her backwards onto the car.

"Stay cool, bro!" Raph advised, putting a hand on Don's shoulder. But even though he was holding on to Don when he said it, he was looking straight at Leo, who looked like he was about to explode any second and jump down to slice the creep into pepperoni slices with his katana swords.

"Let's go inside and continue this, baby," Marcus whispered to the drugged young woman. A firm arm around her waist, the two went up the front steps and slipped inside the mansion.

"We need to find his room and fast!" Don growled.

"It's the one on da far right," Raph answered. His two brothers looked at Raph, silently asking him how he knew that.

"He don't like being close to the old man when he's bringing home a hot piece o' tail," Raph answered, shrugging. "So, they have rooms at opposite ends of the house. The old man does his thing, and the grandson does his things."

"OK. I'm not even going to ask how you know that, Raph," Don said, grimacing.

"Ditto," Leo seconded, making a face.

"C'mon," Raph said to them. He led them across the roof to the far right of the house. Peering down, they could see a garden filled with exotic flowers and, off to the right, a large, Olympic-sized swimming pool. Just below them was a balcony that was much wider than Samantha's own. The three turtles handed silently on it. The doors were open and the curtains billowed in the soft breeze. Just then, the turtles pressed themselves against the walls on either side of the doors as they heard the bedroom door open. Taking the chance, Don held the billowing curtain firmly aside and peered into the room.

It was wide, spacious and decorated like a regular teenage boy's room: posters of half-nude women hung up on the walls, sports magazines and clothes strewn everywhere and a desk with a Macbook, IPod dock and other little gadgets sitting in the corner. But Don's eyes were riveted on the huge, king-sized, four –poster bed that Marcus was laying his girlfriend onto back first.

"Marc…us," she groaned. "Wha…am I…doing…? Where… am…I?"

"You're in my bedroom, silly girl," Marcus replied, tossing off his tuxedo jacket. Then, he was on top of her, his body hovering over hers.

"What?"

"You were all over me in that restaurant, baby," Marcus chuckled, kissing her jaw. "I swear they were gonna throw us out or something. You were pretty hot for me."

"You lying son of a…!" Don hissed, but Leo motioned for him to be quiet.

"No," she moaned. "You're… lying."

"You reached over the table and kissed me like this," Marcus said, before leaning down and pressing his soft lips against Sam's. Don gripped the curtain tighter in his hand.

"After that, your hand was stroking my thigh under the table," he whispered to her before taking her hand and sliding it up his thigh so that it was almost touching his crotch. "You turned me on **so** bad. I wanted to take you there and then."

"Dis is making me sick!" Raph growled in a low voice, drawing his sais.

"Wait! Not yet!" Leo hissed.

"Maybe **you're** dis phony play-by-play, Fearless, but **some** of us have consciences!" Raph hissed right back.

"Trust me. The only urge I'm fighting right now is the one that's telling me to slice his throat with my katanas!" Leo snarled in a whisper.

"Then, you sat on my lap and whispered that if I took you home with me, you'd be good to me," he told her, leaning down again and kissing her neck. "**Really** good to me." His hands untied the halter strap that held up her dress and peeled it down.

"No." She tried to reach up and push him away, but he overpowered her easily, pinning her arms above her head with one hand.

"Yes. You wanted me so bad, baby. And now, you're gonna be really good to me."

"No. Don. Don." Don's heart froze. She was calling his name, calling for him. He wanted to jump into that room, pummel that little rich kid into a pulp and then take her lovingly in his arms and tell her that he was here, that she was safe.

"Don? Who's Don? Your boyfriend?"

"Don. Don."

"So, you got a man, baby? Well, he's probably nothing but a pussy. Let me show you what a **real** man feels like," he told her. His other hand slid up her leg until it reached her knee and then it slid under the fabric of her dress. It was then that every rational thought in Donatello's mind evaporated like mist and the beast within him had completely taken over.

"ENOUGH!" Don roared before dashing into the room. Turning, Marcus barely had any time to react before Don's foot collided with his jaw and sent him sprawling to the floor.

"Keep away from her!" he snarled as Marcus got up and shook with terror at the sight of a gigantic, mutant turtle in his bedroom.

"W…wh…what **are** you?" he stammered.

"I'm the turtle who's gonna kick your sorry punk ass for trying to rape an innocent girl!" Don growled, his bo staff held tightly in his grip.

"Rape? I…I wasn't trying to rape her! She…she seduced me! Yeah! Told me she wanted to come back here!" Marcus protested.

"You lying, self-righteous punk! I saw you through that window, you ass! And she told you "no" more times than I care to count!"

"Please! Please don't hurt me!"

"Oh, I won't hurt you…much!" Don swung the staff and caught Marcus in the side of his head hard. The young man fell hard to the floor and the ninja turtle stood over him. Don kicked and struck Marcus with his staff so many times that he was barely aware of the small flecks on blood that now stained his skin and staff. Everything was a haze of red. He needed to make sure that this punk would never hurt another girl again. **Especially** his.

"Donny! Enough!" a familiar voice said. He turned and saw Leo holding his arm, looking shocked and even a little…frightened. Don then looked down at the cowering figure of Marcus Danielson. His face was covered in bruises, and there was blood dripping from a gash in the side of his head. Don turned and looked at Samantha, who was cradled in Raph's arms. She was moaning, but at least she was conscious again. He needed to tend to her. This idiot, he could deal with another time.

"I've got more important things to do," Don growled, sheathing his bo staff and beginning to walk away.

"Yeah. Like going to Hell!" he heard someone shout before he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. He staggered and fell, clutching the wound which had been caused by a large pair of scissors that Marcus had grabbed from the dresser. Leo's katana blades formed an "X" at Marcus's neck as the frightened young man held the bloody scissors.

"My blades are a lot bigger than yours, and my hands are a lot quicker," Leo hissed. "Drop them! Now!" The scissors clattered to the ground as Don inspected the wound. It wasn't as bad as he'd feared, but it was deep enough that he'd have to stitch himself up when they got back to Samantha's place. With a single hit to the head from Leo, Marcus crumpled to the ground.

"He's unconscious, but he'll live," Leo said to Don. "How's the shoulder?"

"Could be worse," Don replied. "Thanks, Leo."

"Anytime, bro."

"Hey, fellas. I hate to rain on yer family moment, but we've gotta get our ninja princess back home before Uncle Kenji sends out the National Guard to look for her," Raph reminded them.

"Right," Leo and Don said, as they followed their hotheaded brother across the rooftops of Long Island back to Westchester County.

* * *

"Careful. Easy does it," Don cautioned as Raph laid Samantha on her bed.

"Geez, Donny. She ain't made of china or glass!" Raph scoffed, but he was still gentle in laying the young woman down on her bed.

"Now, turn her on her side, Raph," Don instructed. "This is so that when she throws up, she won't choke on her own vomit."

"Thanks for grossing me out, Brainiac," Raph said as he turned Samantha onto her right side and placed a bucket nearby. Don ignored his brother and continued to clean the shoulder wound with one hand. Beside him, Leo was threading a needle that he'd use to stitch himself up. Just then, a familiar, orange bandana popped into sight over the balcony and strolled into Samantha's room.

"Hey guys! What's up?" Mikey asked casually. Then, he took in the angry looks on his three, older brothers' faces.

"**What's up**? After you leave my girlfriend to be drugged and almost _raped _by some frigging rich boy with some serious self-esteem issues who could have murdered her for all we know, the only thing you can say is what's up?" Don roared, lunging at Michelangelo, but falling back onto the stool that Raph had brought up from the kitchen, wincing in pain. "You're damn well lucky that my shoulder's giving me Hell right now, Mikey! Otherwise, I'd be kicking your sorry shell all over this room!"

"Whoa! Slow down, dudes!" Mikey said in horror. "Sammy was drugged?"

"And almost got raped by her date," Raph added pointedly.

"On your watch!" Don growled.

"Which brings us to the question: where were you when you were supposed to be watching Samantha?" Leo asked, his eyes ablaze with fury, but his voice, though stern, was still cool and calm.

"Well, I…I was…I was…oh, what does it matter?" Mikey shouted, kneeling at Sam's bedside and taking her hand in his. "I was supposed to be watching over Sammy, but I wasn't! And she nearly got raped because of me! Some guardian angel **I** turned out to be!"

"You can say that again!" Don muttered loudly. Mikey stood up, silent streams of tears pouring down his face and rushed out of the room without another word.

"Don. Don't you think you were being a **little** too hard on him?" Leo asked, handing his brother the threaded needle. "He probably feels horrible right now for letting Samantha down."

"Good! He should! If Mikey hadn't gone goofing off, this wouldn't have happened!" Don snapped, seizing the needle from Leo and beginning to stitch himself up.

"Who's to say dat it wouldn't?" Raph suggested.

"Excuse me?" Don asked incredulously.

"He slipped the GHB into her drink on Mikey's watch, yes, but it wasn't like Mikey could've jumped in and knocked the glass over in front of a crowded restaurant," Raph continued. "I know Mikey can be an idiot and a pain in da shell, but he's also not perfect. Just like da rest of us. He made a mistake, Donny; albeit a very big, very **stupid** mistake. But kicking 'im when he's already down ain't gonna help anybody, least of all you and **definitely** not him."

"You're right, Raph," Don said. "I guess I was just so…angry and upset with myself that I lashed out at Mikey." Finally, after about half an hour, the wound was stitched up tightly and Don had Leo put his arm in a sling to keep it steady so that the stitches wouldn't pop.

"Thanks, guys," Don said, pulling the stool over and sitting by Samantha's bedside. "For helping me save her."

"She means the world to all of us, Donny," Leo reminded him. "She's family."

"Yeah," Raph agreed. "Now, don't stay up all night watchin' her. You need to get some shut-eye too."

"Will do, Raph," Don replied, chuckling slightly. "Goodnight." His two, older brothers said their good-nights and then, the room door closed behind them. Don sighed and watched his girlfriend's breathing.

"I'm sorry, Samantha," he whispered to her, the tears dripping down his face and falling onto her skin. "I'm so, so sorry! I failed you! I almost lost you to that perverted bastard! Some amazing boyfriend **I** turned out to be! It's my fault why you're here! But I promise, Samantha, that I'll never let him come near you again! He'll have to kill me if he wants to get to you, my young tiger! I swear it on my life!" he watched her face for a response, but she seemed to have blacked out again. Suddenly, she seemed to come alive as she retched into the bucket at her bedside. Coughing and spitting, she rolled back over onto her side.

"Donny?" she moaned, trying to sit up, but she flopped back down. "Where am I?"

"Shh! Hush, Sam!" he told her, covering her up tenderly again with the blankets. "You're at home in your room. You're safe."

"Safe? Was I in danger? What happened?" she asked, but he put a finger to her lips and that stopped the flow of questions.

"We'll talk about this in the morning," he reassured her. "For now, you need to rest." She moaned again and fell back against the pillows. Don pulled the stool closer to the bed, carefully avoiding the half-filled bucket of vomit.

"Stay with me?" she murmured.

"Of course," Don replied. Then, her breathing became soft and regular as she drifted off into sleep. "Goodnight, _chérie_," he whispered, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead before taking his place on the kitchen stool. "Get well. And…I love you."

**Aww! Don's so cute! Poor Mikey, though! He's feeling pretty bad, but Sam will forgive him. So, what's the Shredder going to say when he finds out that Marcus failed? What will happen next with our favorite green heroes and my ninja princess? And when will the mystery girl who will capture Leo's heart appear? Stay tuned for the coming chapters of Not An Ordinary Girl to find out! So, as usual, reviews are important to me, so start using that little button at the bottom...now!**


	27. Chapter 27

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**So, shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers: White Fairy Writer, NeverMindSoGo, IceColdFever, Gamerlady123, WolfAssassin369, grapejuice101 and pokemonjkl! Also, thanks to Gamerlady123 for adding this story and me to all the things that matter (story alert, favorite author, etc.) ! So, I've been on a TMNT high since last night guys, and you are about to reap the spoils of it! Enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**_  
_

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Samantha's eyelids felt heavy, as though they were made of cement. Slowly, they moved upwards until she could see the shape of her desk and laptop, the bathroom door and the gold canopy curtains. Turning on her side, she could see Donatello fast asleep on a stool next to her bed, his head resting in his hand. Had he been watching over her all night? That was so…sweet. Sliding gingerly out of bed so as not to wake up her sleeping boyfriend, Sam's leg jostled against the bucket of vomit that was still by her bedside on the floor. The young woman recoiled and felt nauseous. Had she thrown up? Why? Was she sick? But she remembered feeling fine when Marcus had picked her up to take her out to dinner. Maybe she'd eaten something at the restaurant that'd made her sick.

Quietly, she tiptoed towards the balcony and silently unlocked the doors and stepped out into the cool, morning air. The Sun was slowly rising above the rooftops of the homes of Westchester's rich and snobbiest, the sky streaked with pink, orange and bits of purple and blue. Gazing down for a moment, Samantha saw Leonardo sitting cross-legged on a large, flat rock in the midst of the garden, eyes closed. And by his body's position and the calm, concentrated look on his face, she'd said that he was meditating. Realizing that she was still in the red gown from last night and that the halter strap was undone, Samantha quickly retied it and rested her hands on the balcony's ledge, watching the levelheaded turtle. Just then, Leo's eyes snapped open and he looked up to see Samantha standing there, watching him. The young woman didn't know what to do, so she took a small step back. Leo smiled warmly at her before getting off the rock and hurrying to the white-wall fence alongside the house and climbing it to the balcony.

"Samantha! I'm so glad you're awake!" Leo said to her, hugging her tightly.

"Alright, Leo!" she whispered, chuckling as she returned the hug. "Calm down! Don's sleeping, and I don't want to wake him! He looked like he had a rough night!"

"We all did," Leo told her.

"Wow. Patrolling was that hard for you guys?" Samantha inquired. Leo quickly looked away. She didn't know about them following her, about what had happened to her. Should he tell her? But Don was her boyfriend. He should be the one to break it to her, right? How would she react? Would she fly into a rage and go after Marcus herself? Would she cry and blame herself?

"Leo? Earth to Leo!" Samantha said, waving her hand in front of his face. Leo shook his head and snapped out of the temporary gaze.

"What? Oh, sorry Samantha. I was just thinking about something."

"Penny for your thoughts, my Fearless leader?" He wanted to take her in his arms right then and just kiss her, tell her everything, and then comfort her, reassuring her that he would protect her.

"Well, I…"

"Samantha?" cried Don, who was standing on the balcony behind them. Samantha turned and hurried over to Don, allowing him to sweep her into his arms and twirl her around.

"Easy, Donny! My head's still kind of spinning!" Samantha warned as he set her back down, keeping his arms around her.

"Why didn't you tell me you were awake?" Don asked, resting his forehead on hers.

"You were sleeping so peacefully," Samantha replied, stroking his cheek with one hand. "I didn't want to wake you up just to say, "Hey, Donatello! I'm awake, just so you know!" You looked like you'd had a rough night patrolling and then watching over me. I just wanted you to get some sleep, my turtle genius. You know you can't function properly without a certain amount of sleep."

"OK. But Sam, you don't know how worried I've been!" Don told her, holding her against him.

"What're you talking about, Donny?" Samantha questioned, looking confused. Don and Leo exchanged looks. Don knew that one of the side effects of GHB in the short-term was mild amnesia. It was blocking memory formation pathways in the brain, making it impossible for Samantha to remember everything that'd happened last night. And from the look that Leo shot him, he knew his eldest brother (though not as informed as he was on the side effects of different narcotics) suspected that the drug had something to do with Sam's lack of memory.

"Leo? Could you give us a minute?" Don asked. Leo nodded.

"What's going on you guys?" Samantha asked again.

"Don't worry, Samantha," Leo reassured her. "I'm just gonna tell Mikey and Raph that you're awake, that's all. They'll probably want to come and see you, too. I'll be back." With that, he swept off the balcony, through Samantha's room and out into the corridor, closing the room door behind him.

"You'd better sit down, Samantha," Don advised. Looking nothing less than horrified, Samantha sat down on the porch swing as Don took a seat beside her, his arm around the back of the swing and draped over her slightly.

"OK, Donatello! You're seriously starting to freak me out!" she told him worriedly. "What's with the looks between you and Leo and the overbearing relief that I'm awake and alert?"

"Sam. How much of last night do you remember?"

"Well, I remember that Marcus picked me up at the house at 7. He brought roses and we drove in his black Mercedes to an Italian bistro…somewhere, but I can't remember exactly where. It was nice, though."

"What else?"

"Well, he talked about his father and the waiter poured us champagne, but then I dropped my purse on the floor. I picked it up, drank some champagne, and…I think I ordered something to eat after."

"OK. Go on."

"From there, it gets kinda fuzzy. I remember feeling cold, and then, something pressing me up against something. Then, I remember Marcus saying that I was all over him in the restaurant."

"Were you?"

"I…I don't remember. I don't think so."

"What else do you remember from that night?"

"I…I don't know. It's like my mind is getting nothing but static." Then, she got a suspicious look on her face. "Why are you asking me all these questions, Donny?"

"Samantha. Do you what GHB is?"

"Gamma hydroxybutyrate. Why do you ask?"

"Well, based on the symptoms you were showing last night at the restaurant, we think that Marcus may have spiked your drink with it when you bent down to pick up your purse."

"WHAT? Are you saying that I was…drugged?"

"Yes. But…"

"But? But what?"

"But that's not all."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…we kind of followed Marcus after he put you in his car. He took you to his house and upstairs to his bedroom."

"You guys were following me on my date? After I specifically told you not to and to focus on patrolling the city?"

"Look, Sam…"

"It's like you guys don't trust me or something to be able to take care of myself! I'm _Bushido's daughter_ for crying out loud, Don! I'm a ninja princess! I…!"

"It's not that we don't trust you, Samantha! We didn't know what Marcus was capable of! We couldn't just abandon you like that! And we were right. It's a good thing we listened to Mikey!"

"That just sounded **so** weird, Donatello."

"I know. I'm still taking it in."

"But back up a minute. You said he took me upstairs to his…bedroom? Donny…are you…you're telling me that I…I was…**_raped_**?"

"Yes. I mean, what? I mean, no!"

"What? Donny, you just told me that Marcus drugged me, drove me to his house and took me upstairs into his bedroom. I was wondering why my halter strap was undone this morning, but now, it makes sense! Where is that rotten, little, drug-carrying, sweet-talking piece of vomit? I wanna kick him so hard that his great-grandchildren will feel it!" She began to get up, but Don seized her arm and pulled her back down.

"Whoa! Slow down, Sam!"

"Slow down? Donny, I thought you'd be the first one to back me up here! I'm your **girlfriend**, remember? You're supposed to pummel a guy for so much as looking at me! And now, you wanna sit here after telling me that I was _raped_ instead of murdering the little bastard that did this to me?"

"Sam! Will you just listen to me? Marcus didn't rape you!"

"What? How…how is that…?"

"I jumped in before he could do any _real_ damage. And…I kind of went a little nuts." It was then that Samantha noticed a rusty stain on Don's plastron.

"Donny? Is that…?"

"Blood? Yes. Marcus's blood. It was like…something just took hold of me and wouldn't let go until I'd beaten the bastard into a bloody pulp. It was Leo that stopped me from killing the guy. Otherwise, you'd be dating a murderer."

"No. I'd be dating a turtle genius, who came to the defense of his girlfriend when she couldn't fight on her own." She pulled his face to hers and kissed him softly and gently. He responded lovingly and cupped her face in his hands. Her fingers traced over Don's shoulder and she could feel the bumps underneath her skin. Quickly, she opened her eyes and saw neatly-sewed stitches in his shoulder.

"Don," she whispered, pulling away for a moment. "How'd you injure your shoulder?"

"Well…after I was done beating the crap out of him, Marcus stabbed me with a pair of scissors right there," he said, pointing to his shoulder. "You should've seen Leo. His katana blades were almost sitting on Marcus's neck. Leo wanted to slice this guy's throat so badly."

_For more reasons than one,_ Samantha thought to herself. She may have been Don's girl now, but she knew that Leo still harbored feelings for her; just like she still harbored some feelings for him. But she could never hurt Donatello by having a liaison with his own brother. She loved him too much to break his heart so cruelly.

"Did he?" Sam asked.

"Nah. He conked him on the head hard, and then we left with you. We put you to bed and then, you woke up and threw up. Then, you went back to sleep. I stayed with you the entire night, but I fell asleep at around 3 a.m."

"Donny, you…you _saved_ my life. I…I don't know how to thank you." He tilted her chin up so that there was no escape from looking into his eyes.

"I think I know where to start," he told her before pulling into a mind-blowing kiss. Samantha's arms were practically squeezing Donatello's neck as his tongue and hers battled for supremacy. His hands slid down her back and settled at her hips. She couldn't believe it. Donatello really did love her. For a guy to go so ballistic as to track her down, beat her almost-rapist to a pulp and then take a stab wound for her was more than romantic. It was beyond believable! Don, in her eyes, had always been the perfect boyfriend. But now, this solidified him in that position. No other guy she knew would've done this for her.

"I love you, Samantha Tiffany Bushido," Don whispered against her lips.

"I love you, too, Donatello Lucius Hamato," she whispered back before pulling his mouth back onto hers. Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door of the balcony. The two broke apart to see Leo standing there.

"Sorry for the interruption, guys," he said. "But I need to talk to you outside in the hallway, Don."

"OK?" Don got up and leaned down to kiss Samantha's forehead. "I won't be gone long."

"Don? What's going on?" Samantha asked.

"Don't worry, Samantha," Leo told her kindly. "Don just needs to apologize to Mikey. He kind of went ballistic and lashed out at him."

"Donatello!" Samantha scolded. Don grinned sheepishly and then blew his girlfriend a kiss before vanishing through the balcony doors with Leo. Samantha shook her head and sat back on the porch swing, smiling. Sometimes, Don could be really annoying with his charming ways.

* * *

Outside in the corridor, Don saw Mikey and Raph standing beside a short, young man who looked no older than sixteen. His dark hair was matted with dried mud, and his eyes were nervously looking around the house, as if he was expecting someone to jump out of the closet or something. He was dressed in a tattered, navy-blue robe with cotton pants underneath it.

"Who are you?" Don inquired, staring at the young man suspiciously.

"He says he has news for Samantha," Leo answered. "But he wants to speak with her in private."

"It is an important matter that requires only her presence and my own," the messenger said, a hint of a Japanese accent in his voice.

"Like shell we're gonna let **dat** happen, kid!" Raph growled.

"Samantha has been through quite an ordeal last night," Leonardo explained. "But we would be more than happy to pass on the message to her when she's recovered."

"Recovered? Was she injured? Is she dying?" the messenger asked anxiously.

"Calm down, friend," Don told him calmly. "She's fine…for now. She just needs some rest. Can you tell us your name?"

"M…Maurice."

"Hey, Maurice. My name's Don. And these are my brothers: Leo, Raph and Mikey. We're good friends of Samantha's, and we'll make sure that your message gets to her as soon as she's well enough. You have my word."

"Alright. I have come from Japan with grievous news for her Majesty, Princess Samantha. Last night, the sacred palace which she called home was ransacked and pillaged. It still stands, but its treasures and wealth are now in the hands of the plunderers."

"Do you know who did it?" Leo asked. Maurice shook his head.

"No. They were masked and wore dark clothing. They also carried weapons, which they used on those who dwelled there. They were merciless. They…"

"Dude. Please don't say what I think you're trying to say," Mikey whispered in horror. The other three brothers slowly realized what the intruders had done with their weapons. No one wanted to ask the dreaded question, but finally, for his love, Donatello summoned up the courage to utter the unspeakable words from his lips.

"The servants? Her friends? Yoshi?"

"All of them… dead," Maurice replied in a small voice. "I am the only survivor of the massacre."

* * *

"Aw shell!" Mikey said when Maurice left them to return to Japan. "This is awful!"

"No duh, shell-for-brains," Raph replied, smacking Mikey in the head.

"So, who gets to tell her?" Leo asked. All eyes turned to Don.

"Oh yeah. The boyfriend just **has** to be the bearer of bad news," Don said sarcastically.

"Look, Donny. It's better she hears it from you right now than from one of us later," Leo reasoned. "Just …break it to her gently."

"Yeah. When I'm ready to, I'll tell her," Don replied.

"Don. She needs to know right away," Leo said, trying hard not to sound surprised that Don was putting this news aside. "This is important."

"Her health and well-being is even more important," Don countered. "She's still recovering from being drugged and almost raped last night. Her body can't take any more stress, Leo, or she might get really sick! This can wait!"

"Oh yeah! Hearing about your entire family back home being butchered by mysterious assassins who also ransacked the place isn't a real problem at all!" Leo fired back sarcastically.

"Uh-oh! This isn't gonna end well!" Mikey whispered to Raph as their other two brothers squared off.

"I know," Raph muttered, crossing his arms across his plastron. "But what can we do?"

"Look, Leo! You're not her boyfriend! I'll tell her when **I** think she's ready!"

"Where's her say in this? You can't control her, Donny! It's not right!"

"I'm doing this because I love her! I've almost lost close to half a dozen times in the past three days! I'm not gonna push my luck any further!"

There was silence for a moment. Then, Leo asked, "How long?"

"Excuse me?" Don questioned.

"How long until you tell Samantha about Yoshi and what happened at the palace?" Leo demanded.

"At least 48 hours."

"That's too long. Make it 24."

"I want to make sure every ounce of that drug is out of her system and that's she well enough mentally to take another hard blow."

"No. You just want 48 hours so that the issue will die and we won't bring it back up again. That way, you can act like nothing else that's a damn tragedy has happened!"

"Well, if that's how you see it...then, at least give me 36 hours, bro." Another hard, cold, unpleasant silence resided between the two brothers.

"You've got 36 hours from now to tell Samantha what Maurice just told us, or **I'll** do it myself!" Leo replied, turning on his heel and heading to his room. But before he went in, he looked at Don and said, "With or without a medical clearance from you!" Then, the door slammed shut behind him.

"Whoa. Now **dat's **a side of Leo I ain't ever seen," Raph breathed in shock.

"He's just being pigheaded," Don told them casually. "Nothing to worry about. He'll get over it. Now, my girlfriend's probably wondering where the shell I am, so later guys."

"Donny! Wait!" Mikey shouted. Don turned around and saw his little brother gazing down at the floor, looking like a guilty toddler about to confess to doing something wrong/

"Yeah, Mikey?"

"Does…does Sammy hate me? You know, for what happened last night?"

"I haven't told her everything yet. But you know what; I don't think she'll be that mad at all. She loves you too much, Mikey."

"Are **you** still mad at me for what happened to her last night, Donny?" Donatello smiled.

"I'm still quite…upset about it, but I don't wanna kill you anymore if that's any consolation."

"That's more than consol-whatever –you-just-said! That's **awesome**!" Mikey crowed. "Now I can play my video-games and not worry about my conscience bothering me 24/7!" With that, Mikey rushed off down the stairs, probably heading for the living room to continue playing his video-games.

"You're not over it yet, are ya, Einstein?" Raph asked curiously.

"Not even close, Raph," Don answered, smirking. "I'm just thinking of what type of revenge plan to execute on Mikey when we get back to the Lair."

"Ya know something, Donny?" Raph chuckled. "I've never doubted that you and I were brothers. I mean, I've questioned Leo a couple of times and Mikey more times than I care ta count. But **you**? Never. And what ya just said right now proves dat I was right all along."

* * *

_Meanwhile at Foot Headquarters…_

"No! PLEASE! Don't! Please!" Marcus begged as Oroku Saki advanced on him with the silver claw gleaming in the light of the burning lamp stands. Hun was smiling as the young man struggled to break free and run or hide. A young, trust fund baby was about to be sliced and diced by Hun's master for letting his urges get in the way of his duties. This was going to be enjoyable to watch.

"You have failed me, young Danielson!" Oroku Saki growled. "I do not tolerate failure!" With that, the claw ripped through the cloth of Marcus's shirt and tore the flesh of his chest. He let out a wild scream of pain and would've fallen to the floor had Hun not been holding him with his arms behind his back.

"Please! Master! Have mercy on me!" Marcus pleaded, bowing his head.

"You failed to bring me the Bushido girl!" Oroku Saki reminded him, drawing the claw lightly down his face. Marcus could feel the blood trickling down from the fresh wound; he could taste it as some of the blood ran into his mouth. "You allowed her to escape along with those accursed Turtles!"

"Please, Master! Give me another chance!"

"Why should you get another chance, worm?"

"Because…because I have a plan that'll bring the Turtles and their little playmate to you, Master!"

"Ha! He couldn't even bring the girl to you alone, Master!" Hun scoffed. "How can he possibly…?"

"Quiet, Hun!" Saki commanded. Then, he approached the shivering form of the young man. "Why should I trust you?"

"Because I want revenge on those accursed reptiles just like you," Marcus said, gritting his teeth. "Especially the one in the purple bandana. I want him to be broken when I rape his girlfriend. I want to hear him scream when you slice into his cold, slimy flesh! I want him to suffer! I want **all** of them to suffer!" Saki studied Marcus Danielson the Third for a good, long time before his eyes became unreadable.

"Release him, Hun," Saki ordered. Hun released the young man's arms and Marcus rubbed them, trying to get the circulation back in them. "What is your plan, Danielson?"

"First, I'll need to become a Purple Dragon," Marcus told Saki.

"Hell no!" Hun shouted. "There is **no way** this little Long Island brat is running with **my** crew!"

"Need I remind you, Hun, that **your crew** as you say, has pledged its allegiance to **me?**"

"I know, Master. But…!"

"No "buts"! You will take him on board and give him what he needs. Starting with the tattoo," Saki replied. Hun was fuming inside. Being a Purple Dragon wasn't just some gift that he gave out like some frigging Santa Claus at Christmas. It took skill, devotion and guts to run with his crew. This little pretty rich boy from The Island didn't fit a single one of those criteria. But Hun could never refuse the Master.

"I…I…yes, Master," Hun surrendered. Marcus hid a small smile of triumph from his new leader.

"Then what?" Saki asked, turning back to Marcus.

"Then, we dangle some tempting bait in the right place so that the fish come beating a path right to our door," Marcus replied. "And when they take the bait, **that's** when we strike. And we strike them **hard**. No mercy."

"Very well, then. Execute your plan. Succeed, Marcus, and you will have a permanent place in my empire when I rule the world," Saki told him. "Fail me, and what I inflicted on you as punishment now will seem like child's play compared to the torture you will endure from my hands."

"I will not fail you, Master," Marcus said, bowing.

"One question, Richie Rich," Hun said, his voice sounding mocking. "How do you know they'll take the bait?" It was then that Marcus's eyes got a strange look in them that made Hun uneasy. As ruthless as he was, he'd only seen psychopaths and nutcases with eyes like those.

"Don't worry," Marcus chuckled, smiling sinisterly. "I know just the bait we can use to lure them to their demise."

**Dun dun dun! Cliffhanger! So, Marcus is teaming up with Shredder for revenge on the Turtles, but mainly Don! Gasp! And just who are they going to use as bait to lure the Turtles into the trap? Will Marcus's plan succeed? Stay tuned for the coming chapters to find out! So, as usual, reviews are what keep me going, guys, so start reviewing...now!  
**


	28. Chapter 28

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**So, shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers: honkytonk-babe3, NeverMindSoGo, IceColdFever, Gamerlady123, RAHELA, WolfAssassin369, grapejuice101, AniLouBenz and pokemonjkl! You guys rock! Also, thanks to RAHELA for adding this story to story alert and your favorites! So, sorry about being away for so long, you guys! Life and writer's block got in the way, but I'm back! So, without further ado, enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**_  
_

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Samantha was sitting on her porch swing waiting for Donatello to return when she heard her Shell-cell ringing. Hurrying into her room (trying to fight the spell of dizziness that came over her from her quick movement), she went to the clutch, which someone (probably Don) had placed on her night table. She pulled out the cell phone and answered it.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hey, girl!" a familiar voice greeted. Samantha smiled warmly.

"Hey, 'Liv! What's up?"

"Ugh! Nothing besides studying for psychology! I swear that Professor Ruffington has **no** life outside of class if he can be so cruel as to not mention that chapters 3 and 4 are gonna be on our first test!"

"Well, that's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes, girl. So, beside that, how are ya?"

"I'm good. But forget about me, Sammy! I wanna hear all about your date with Mr. Hotshot Danielson the Third last night!"

"It's…um….kind of a bit of a blur, Olivia. I don't remember much."

"Oh, come on Sammy! We're friends! You can tell me anything! But before you do, I just remembered something I have **got** to tell you!"

"OK. What is it?"

"Marcus Danielson the Third **just** asked me out on a date!"

"WHAT?"

"Yeah. Why do you sound like that?"

"Olivia, you can't go out with that guy!"

"Why not? He's incredibly hot, rich, popular, and a complete gentleman! What's wrong with that?"

"'Liv! You don't know him!"

"Sammy, what's wrong with you? Why aren't you happy for me?"

"Olivia, I **am**! It's just…!"

"Just what? Look. Either you're happy for me or you're not. So, which is it?"

"I…I…I am. I'm sorry, 'Liv. I'm just a little exhausted from last night."

"Ooo. And what pray tell were you and Mr. Danielson doing that's made you so tired and cranky?"

"Ew, 'Liv! I'm not that kind of girl! We…kind of had a disagreement over something, and things got pretty nasty."

"Oh. That's too bad. I thought he wasn't the type of guy to get nasty with a girl in a fight."

_Trust me, 'Liv,_ Sam thought to herself. _I thought he wasn't the type of guy who'd try to drug and rape me. But I was wrong! **Big time**!_

"So…uh…what time's the date?"

"7:30 tonight. We're going to the movies with Makayla and Tonya."

"Who?"

"Oh, right! You haven't met them yet! They're these two, totally cool girls in our English class! Hey! Do you think I could bring them over to your place so that they can meet you? I've told them all about you, and they're stoked to meet you!"

"Umm…sure, 'Liv. Just call me when you get here. I have to spruce up a bit. But how about you tell me a bit about them?"

"Sure. Well, Makayla's a total pacifist, but she takes judo lessons. She loves doing yoga for fun, reading and watching those samurai/ninja movies. Her parents divorced, but she's really close to her father. She's an amazing writer, she loves Chow Mein noodles with shrimp, and she's really levelheaded. Unlike Tonya."

"What's Tonya like?"

"Oh my God! This chick has the shortest temper in the world! I mean, if you piss her off, she'll literally go ballistic and put the smack down on you with some of her kickboxing moves! And, she's a WWE junkie! I think the only thing she loves more than that is her motorcycle, Jess."

"She owns a motorcycle? Awesome!"

"Tell me about it! Oh, and she absolutely **hates** the Purple Dragons!"

"Well, they aren't exactly very popular, now are they?"

"I know, but this kind of loathing goes beyond the regular "these-guys-are-punks-and-someone-should-do-something" hate. This is more like "these-guys-are-scum-on-the-bottom-of-my-shoe-and-I-want-them-dead-or-boiled-alive" hate."

"Yeesh. That's pretty serious. Maybe they hurt one of her relatives or something. Has she told you why she hates them so much?"

"Are you kidding? Getting Tonya Harrison to open up about anything is next to impossible! I mean, she trusts me and Makayla, but that's about it. She's the tough girl who doesn't want to show that she's vulnerable or anything. You know what I mean?"

"Do I ever!" She sounded just like a certain turtle that Samantha knew all too well. "So, they sound pretty cool and everything. I guess you can…" Sam stopped when she saw Don come back out onto the balcony. He sat down beside her and began kissing her neck.

"Sam? Samantha? Are you still there?"

"Yeah, 'Liv," Sam answered, trying to keep her breathing normal. "David's here and he kind of startled me, that's all."

"So, how are he and his brothers?"

"They're…fine."

"Sam, I think David's doing a bit more than startling you. Am I right?"

"Got me pegged, 'Liv."

"So, you and he are together?"

"Yeah. Pretty much." Olivia let out a loud squeal that had Samantha's ears ringing and made Don jump back.

"Guess she's happy for you," Don said, rubbing his ears and shaking his head.

"**Happy** is an understatement, David! You know I have to meet you and approve before my girl starts going out with you. And so do Makayla and Tonya, though Tonya carries this grudge about men that may make that difficult. But I'm sure you'll manage to melt her heart. Hey! Why not kill two birds with one stone? Your girlfriend can meet Makayla and Tonya, and the three of us can meet you!"

"Uh…I don't know if I…" Don began to say, but Olivia cut him off.

"Don't worry. I know Sammy! And she wouldn't be dating you if you weren't a totally amazing catch!"

"No, it's not that, Olivia. It's just…my brothers and I have to do something today, and we don't know when we'll be finished. Sorry."

"Oh well. Guess we'll just have to meet you another time then."

"Sure. Sam can call you when I'm free."

"Alright. Now, I'll let you two get back to…well, you know…whatever it is that I interrupted. Which was…"

"'Liv!" Sam groaned.

"Sorry. See ya later, Sammy!" Then, Sam hung up the phone and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"David?" Don asked.

"I didn't want to tell her your real names just in case she started asking a whole bunch of questions," Sam said defensively. "I know how stingy you guys are about keeping your identities a secret from the surface world."

"Take it easy, Sam! I'm not accusing you of anything. I just thought that, you know…you'd come up with a hotter name for me than David." Samantha rolled her eyes.

"**Really**, Don?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, like maybe Dmitri or something."

"I can't make you happy, can I?" He placed his hand under her chin and tilted her head up so that she was looking into his eyes.

"You make me happy by just existing, Samantha Tiffany Bushido." Samantha smiled and shook her head playfully.

"Donny. I hate it when you do this."

"Do what?"

"Charm me." Don smiled wickedly.

"Why?"

"Because," Sam purred, running her hand along Don's plastron and smiling as she saw him close his eyes and moan. "When you **do**, it makes me feel like agreeing to anything." His hand tangled in her hair, pulling her towards him.

"Anything?" She smirked and leaned in close to him, making sure her mouth was very close to his ear.

"_Anything_," she whispered, her warm breath tickling the skin. Suddenly, Sam gave a yelp as Don flipped her onto her back with him hovering on top of her. He was just leaning in to kiss her when he heard something cough. The two turned and saw Raph and Mikey standing there, smiling. Sam felt her cheeks flush red as Don sat back on the swing, and she quickly sat up, straightening her hair.

"So, what was that about procedure in relationships, Donny?" Mikey teased as Don blushed crimson.

"Didn't know you were that fast of a worker, Einstein!" Raph chuckled. "Guess I underestimated you!"

"Um…guys? Is there a **reason** you're out here?" Samantha asked pointedly.

"Well, I came out here to see if you were alright, Sammy," Mikey said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "I mean…what happened with Marcus last night is kind of…my fault."

"No kidding," Don muttered, but Samantha whacked him in the chest with the back of her hand, her eyes telling him silently not to condemn his youngest brother.

"So, lemme guess? **You** were supposed to be watching me last night when something came up and you vanished?" Samantha said. Mikey looked down at the ground.

"So, what was it?"

"Huh?" Mikey asked, looking up at Samantha.

"What was so important that you abandoned your post?" she repeated.

"Well…you know Silver Sentry?"

"The superhero? Yeah. What about him?"

"Well, he was kind of acting…weird, so I followed him because that's what superheroes do. You know, help each other out."

"Wait a minute! **You're **a superhero, Mikey?"

"Yeah! My alter ego is…Turtle Titan! Defender of justice and Protector of the Innocent!"

"OK. So what was wrong with Silver Sentry?"

"Well, Dr. Malignus, his arch-enemy was using a mind-control device to control Silver Sentry and use his powers for evil. So, at first, I was getting my shell kicked trying to be a superhero like Sentry. But then, by using my awesome ninja skills, I was able to save Silver Sentry and defeat Malignus!"

"Wow, Mikey. That's really…cool. And don't worry. I forgive you. Besides, it's not like you could've jumped into the restaurant and knocked the glass of champagne over or something."

"Dat's what **I** said, Princess," Raph told her. She smirked at him.

"So, what's up with you, Hothead? Did you take your two swings at that lowlife Marcus?" she asked.

"Nah. Yer boyfriend over here went ballistic and pretty much beat him to a pulp," Raph chuckled, looking at Don. "I was given the job of getting the cargo out and carrying it home."

"Lucky for you."

"Yeah. So, what were you doing before Turtle Einstein here jumped ya?"

"Talking to my friend, Olivia. She's coming over later with two new girls I haven't met before: Makayla and Tonya. They want to meet me before they go out with Marcus to the movies tonight."

"Your friend's going out with Marcus Danielson the Third tonight? Even after ya told her what happened to ya last night?" Raph demanded, looking nothing less than horrified.

"Well…I kinda…didn't…tell her," Sam confessed, looking down at the ground.

"WHAT?" all three turtle brothers shouted.

"Sammy, are you nuts?" Mikey asked. "You've gotta tell her! She's your friend!"

"Right, Mikey. And I wanna keep it that way. I tried telling her on the phone, but when it looked like she was gonna break off our friendship, I…I just dropped it."

"Samantha, you should've told her, no matter what," Don said to his girlfriend, wrapping his arm around her.

"Some friend you are," Raph told her bluntly. "Da guy almost rapes ya and ya can't even warn yer own friend 'cause yer scared she won't be yer friend anymore?"

"Look, Hothead! Olivia's crazy about Marcus! She'd never believe me even if I **did** tell her what happened! But don't worry. That creep won't lay one finger on her on **my** watch!"

"Don't you mean "on **our** watch", Sammy?" Mikey corrected, smiling at her. Samantha looked up and saw the same smile on the faces of her boyfriend and Raphael.

"You mean…you guys will help me?" Samantha inquired.

"Of course we will, dudette!" Mikey crowed. "You didn't think we'd let you go off without some shell-kicking backup, did you?"

"Any friend of yours is a friend of ours, Samantha," Donatello added, planting a loving kiss on his girlfriend's forehead.

"As long as I get a couple of swings at the piñata, then I'm in for sure," Raphael chuckled. Samantha rolled her eyes and smiled. Good ole Hothead. The same as ever.

"Hey guys. What'd I miss?" Leo asked, stepping onto the balcony.

"We're gonna…!" Mikey began to say, but was cut off by the blaring of Pitbull's "International Love". Samantha looked down and saw that her Shell-cell was ringing. Picking it up, she answered it.

"Hello? Hey, 'Liv. You're **where**? Are they with you? OK. I'll be downstairs in a second. OK. Yeah. They left not too long ago. Yes, they're all fine. Alright. I'll be downstairs in a sec. OK. Bye." She hung up.

"Your friend knows about us, too, Samantha?" Leo asked pointedly.

"She knows of you per se," Samantha answered nervously. She knew how stingy he was about humans knowing that they existed. "I told her you were four guys who saved me from muggers, and that I've been hanging out with you. I told her your names were Louis, David, Ralph and Mike. For all she knows, you're four human guys."

"Has she insisted on meeting us?" Leo asked.

"She has, but I managed to throw her off," Don quickly jumped in to save his girlfriend from his eldest brother's annoying interrogation.

"You spoke to her?" Leo said, shocked. "Donny, do you know how foolish that was?"

"Look, Leo. As long as she and her two friends don't see us, what's the harm in knowing that we exist **per se**?" Don countered.

"And, God forbid, if something happens to them tonight and we have to jump in, then what?"

"We do what we always do: become shadow warriors and then vanish before they're any the wiser."

"Alright. But our stuff's still here, unpacked, and they're right downstairs," Leo informed his brothers. "So, we use the roof, sneak into our rooms, pack up and then leave."

"Wait. Don't you guys wanna at least **see** who I hang out with when I'm not with you guys?" Samantha inquired.

"As long as we're hidden, I don't mind," Don said.

"Count me in!" Mikey seconded.

"What the hell? Sure," Raph shrugged.

"Fine," Leo sighed. "But we stay on the rooftop or out of sight on the balcony."

"Done," everyone agreed. Samantha turned to leave.

"So, when are you guys gonna…?" Sam began to ask, but when she turned around, the guys were gone. Samantha smiled and then turned to walk out of her room to greet her friend and her potential new ones.

* * *

"Hey, girl!" Olivia greeted as Samantha threw open the door, engulfing the young woman in a hug. Samantha laughed and hugged her friend back, noticing that there were two other girls behind Olivia, who, Samantha guessed, were Makayla and Tonya.

"Hey, 'Liv! So, what's up?" she asked as the three girls stepped into her house. She closed the door and smiled as Olivia and the two girls, one blond and the other a redhead, gazed at her house in amazement.

"Not much! Sam, your uncle's house is amazing!" Olivia breathed. Sam tried her hardest not to giggle. "Oh! Before I forget, this is Makayla Norris and Tonya Harrison! Mac, Tonya, this is Samantha Bushido, my best friend!"

"Hi! I'm Makayla, but you can call me Mac if you want," the blond girl said, stepping forward. Samantha smiled and shook hands with her. Petite and slender, Makayla was around 5'7 with her blond hair styled in a pixie cut that suited her. Her eyes were the same shade as sapphires, and her skin was porcelain-white. She was wearing a pink tank top with hip-hugging blue jeans and matching, pink ballet flats.

"Hey, Mac! Nice to meet you," Sam replied. Then, her eyes turned to the red-headed girl. Her fiery-red locks were loose around her shoulders, the girl, who must be Tonya, had mint-green eyes that were as hard as flint. Freckles peppered her cheeks and a few were splayed on her long nose. She was a bit darker than Makayla was. She was slim, yes, but her arms were clearly defined. Tonya was wearing a pair of leather pants with a blood-red camisole underneath a short-sleeved leather jacket with motorcycle boots. She was attractive, but thanks to the air of toughness that radiated from her, Sam suspected that a lot of guys were scared of asking this girl out.

"And you must be Tonya," Sam said.

"Wow. You're **really** smart. A total genius," Tonya replied sarcastically.

"Tonya, be nice!" Makayla scolded. Then, she turned back to Samantha. "I'm sorry about that. She's just kind of a little…_edgy_ when meeting new people."

"Don't worry about it," Sam replied. She'd had to deal with that same attitude from Raphael when she'd first met the Turtles. Even now, she still had to deal with sometimes, even though Raph and she were friends, **and** that she was dating his brother.

"So, why don't we go upstairs to my room and hang out?" Sam suggested.

"Sounds cool," Makayla agreed.

"I'm in!" Olivia seconded.

"What the hell? Why not," Tonya added. Samantha smiled and then led the three girls up the stairs to her bedroom, thanking her lucky stars that the guys were already hidden on the rooftop out of sight. Turning the doorknob, she allowed her friends to gaze around her room.

"Whoa, Samantha!" Makayla breathed. "Your bed is **huge**!"

"And so is your closet!" Olivia added from inside the large, walk-in closet.

"Nice balcony, Sam," Tonya commented. "Makes ya feel a little like a princess, doesn't it?"

"A little," Samantha chuckled. "Now, let's sit and get to know each other a little better."

"Yes, Teacher," Tonya replied in a voice that sounded like a little kid's.

"Good grief!" Makayla groaned as Olivia giggled. The four girls sat down on Samantha's bed, with Olivia and Makayla close to the pillows and Samantha and Tonya close to the foot of the bed.

"So, how's David, Sam?" Olivia asked, smiling wickedly.

"Wait a second. Who's David?" Makayla asked curiously.

"He's this…guy I've started to…date," Samantha confessed, blushing.

"Oh my gosh! That's awesome, Samantha!" Makayla squealed. "You're **so** lucky! So, what's he like?"

"He's incredible, girls! He's extremely intelligent, cute as anything, sweeter than all the candy in the world combined, sensitive, funny, protective and…"Samantha sighed romantically, "I love him. I really do."

"Aww!" Olivia and Makayla cooed. Unknown to Sam, Mikey and the others were on the roof watching everything through a device Don had planted on the wall beside the bed.

"Aww! Sammy loves Donny! Sammy loves Donny!" Mikey sang in a whisper.

"Shut up, Mikey!" Don snapped in embarrassment, but he was smiling when he said it.

"Yer girl's bragging about ya, Einstein," Raph chuckled. "That's always a good thing."

"So, how are his brothers?" Olivia asked.

"Wait. He has brothers?" Makayla asked in shock.

"Yeah. Three of them," Samantha answered. "Louis, Ralph and Mike."

"What are they like?" Makayla inquired.

"Well, to keep a long story short: Louis is the eldest and he's such a sweetheart. He's smart, sensitive, caring and brave. Not to mention completely cute," Sam said.

"Uh, Leo?" Mikey called. "I think she's talking about **you**." Leo's head immediately snapped up and he listened closely to the conversation between the four girls.

"I mean, with Louis, it's just so hard **not** to fall in love with him," Sam sighed. "He's just that…incredible." Leo held back a smile while his brother, Don, held back a grimace.

"Wow. Sounds like a great catch," Makayla said, smiling.

"Uh-oh. Don't look now, Sam, but I think Louis has an admirer," Olivia teased before the three girls cracked up laughing, with Makayla blushing. On the rooftop, the three turtles were silently cracking up while Leo hid his face in his hands.

"Why me?" he groaned.

"C'mon, Leo," Mikey chuckled. "She's pretty cute. And she seems nice enough."

"Mikey! Don't start!" Leo warned him, shooting daggers at him. The truth was, he thought Makayla was pretty cute. She looked like one of those porcelain dolls that April had in her antique shop. But he could never admit that to his brothers. He also couldn't help but wonder what this pretty girl was like.

"Now, on to Ralph," Makayla told Sam.

"Well, aside from being the second-eldest, Ralph is…hotheaded, has a short temper, but he's an all-around cool guy," Sam informed her friends.

"This has **gotta** be you, Raph," Mikey said as Raph leaned in closer.

"He loves wrestling, especially the WWE, and his motorcycle is his pride and joy. He doesn't like to show his emotions, but on the inside, he's just a big teddy bear."

"Sounds like the perfect match for you, Tonya," Olivia snickered as the other two girls giggled. Up on the roof, Leo and Don smirked at Raph, who'd looked away from the screen, desperately trying to hide his blush.

"Olivia's got a point, Raph," Leo chuckled. "You and Tonya seem like a match made in heaven."

"Shut it, Fearless!" Raph snapped back, annoyed.

"Please!" Tonya scoffed. "The guy's probably had a million girlfriends, and he's probably used them all to just get what he wants and then dump 'em! Little boys like that are **not** my type, Livy!"

"Little boys?" Raph snapped. "You carrot-topped, wannabe-punk little girly! Why I oughta…!"

"Take it easy, Raph," Don advised. "Maybe she just has trust issues is all."

"Yeah? Well, tough!" Raph shot back, crossing his arms over his plastron. In reality, Raph's pride had been stung by Tonya's dismissal of him. The fiery, redhead was pretty hot in Raph's opinion, and if he wasn't saddled with Paulina, he might've allowed himself to want to find out more about Tonya. But now, since she obviously didn't want anything to do with him, what was the point?

"And last but certainly not the least, I hope, is Mike," Olivia said.

"Mike is just an amazing guy. He's the youngest. He's also sweet, funny, kind; he **loves** video games and comic books. And he…knows this new superhero called Turtle Titan."

"Really? He knows Turtle Titan?" Olivia screeched.

"Yeah? Why do you ask?" Sam inquired.

"Because she's a comic book collector and a superhero fanatic," Tonya answered, rolling her eyes. "She totally loves Turtle Titan now!"

"Well, he's the new superhero in town, and he teamed up with Silver Sentry, who's one of the most amazing superheroes to ever live! Other than Black Widow, of course!" Olivia said defensively. Then, she sighed romantically. "Plus, he's amazing and totally cute! I'd give **anything** for Turtle Titan to rescue **me**!"

"I'd give anything for Turtle Titan to rescue me," Raph mimicked her, causing Leo and Don to snicker.

"Knock it off, dudes!" Mikey admonished. "I've got my first, real fan! And she's a foxy one, too!"

"Don't tell me you're in love with her already?" Don begged.

"Dudes, what's not to love? She loves comics and superheroes just like me! She adores my alter ego, Turtle Titan! Plus, she's a total hottie!"

"Oh boy!" Leo sighed, shaking his head.

"Geez. So, now that you guys are done pumping me for information about the guys, how about Olivia tells me about this whole date thing with Marcus?" Samantha suggested.

"OK. So, he called me last night, and we got to talking. I mean, I was shocked! The most popular guy at NYU was talking to **me! **Then, he asked me if I wanted to see a movie with him tonight, and I said yes!"

"What movie are you guys seeing?"

"I dunno. Probably a nice, scary one!"

"Horror movie rule number 1: when you watch them, always watch them with a cute guy," Makayla giggled.

"Which theatre?"

"The Imax theatre close to Canal and 7th Street."

"Wow! So, what time are you meeting with him at the movie theatre?" Sam asked.

"7:30." Olivia looked down at her watch and gasped. "Which is in two hours! Mac! Tonya! We've gotta get going and get back to my place to get ready!" Olivia rolled off of Sam's bed and quickly hugged her best friend before hurrying out the door.

"Bye, Samantha!" Makayla called, waving as she followed Olivia.

"Later, Sam," Tonya said, before closing the room door. Sam turned and saw the four turtles standing there.

"Nicely done, boys," she complimented. "So, what'd you think of them?"

"Mikey thinks Olivia's a total fox," Don snickered.

"And Raph thinks Tonya's a total hottie," Mikey chuckled.

"And Fearless thinks Makayla's a total babe," Raph laughed.

"And **I** think my brothers have officially lost it," Leo said, rolling his eyes. Samantha giggled. The other three turtles aside from Don, who had her, were interested in her friends. Whether they would admit it or not was another matter.

"Well, enough thinking, guys," she told them, holding her Amulet up. In a flash, she was changed into her battle suit and went over and took her wakizashi from the pegs. "It's time for some action!"

* * *

It was almost 10 p.m. by the time the movie finished. Atop the roof of the drugstore across the street, the five ninja friends lay in wait for Olivia, Makayla, Tonya and Marcus to emerge from the theatre. Using Don's infrared binoculars, they were able to see through the darkness of the night.

"There they are," Sam whispered as she spotted Olivia, Makayla, Tonya and Marcus along with two other guys that Samantha didn't recognize. They were probably Marcus's friends.

"So far, so…uh-oh," Sam said. The four turtles' heads snapped up and Raph snatched the binoculars away from her and looked through them. He growled when he saw four thugs carrying metal pipes surround the group. He zoomed in and saw the tattoos on their arms.

"Purple Dragons!" he snarled softly. "Let's roll!" The five quickly hurried across the rooftops and were able to cross over a wire to overlook the alley which Sam's friends and their dates had been forced into.

"What do you want from us?" they heard Makayla ask.

"Just give us yer money, sweet thing, and we'll be gone," one of them replied.

"Dream on, punk!" Tonya snapped, clutching her purse tighter to her. "I actually **worked** for this money! And I'm not about it give it up to a low-life street punk like you!"

"Yer the feisty one, ain't ya?" another of them said.

"And you must be the scum on the bottom of my shoe," Tonya threw back.

"Now I remember you," the same voice said. "Four years ago, in that alley close to the fish market down by the docks. Sweet little thing."

"Shut up!" Tonya snarled.

"Come and make me, bitch!" he challenged. No sooner had the words left his mouth than Tonya launched herself forward and kicked the man in his groin hard. He collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain. Sam smiled. Tonya could kick ass when provoked. Good to know.

"Nobody move, or she dies!" Sam heard Marcus shout. She saw him holding Olivia in a headlock, a gun pressed hard against her temple.

"You sorry little bastard! Let her go!" Makayla shouted.

"I said, don't move! Don't even fight or I'll blow her brains out!" Marcus threatened, pressing the gun harder against Olivia's temple.

"I can't believe I actually thought you were cool!" Olivia cried, struggling against Marcus. "Somebody! Please, help!"

"Shut up!" he growled, smacking Olivia hard in the face with the gun before it returned to her head.

"**Nobody** pistol-whips **my** friends!" Samantha growled as she and the Turtles whipped out their weapons. Sticking to the shadows, Samantha and the Turtles leapt down into the alley.

"Hey! Danielson! Let her go!" Samantha snapped, stepping out of the shadows, wakizashi gleaming.

"Samantha?" Olivia gasped.

"Sam? What're you doing here?" Makayla asked in shock.

"What's with the outfit and the sword?" Tonya asked.

"Ah, Samantha! So nice of you to join us!" Marcus chuckled. "I was hoping to see you again. We never **did** get to finish what we started last night, you know."

"And with good reason!" she heard Don shout from the shadows.

"Ah! Is that your turtle friend again?" Marcus asked mockingly. "How precious! Did he bring his brothers, too?"

"I think you've got a hearing problem, Danielson!" Samantha growled. "I told you to let her go! Now, DO IT!"

"I don't think so," Marcus replied. Snapping his fingers, Purple Dragons emerged from all over and Foot Ninja leapt down from the roof, surrounding the group.

"We've been lured!" Raph growled.

"It's a trap!" Leo snapped.

"And you took the bait," Marcus said gleefully. "Foot Ninja! Dragons! Attack! Show no mercy!"

Samantha and the others fought hard and fiercely. Sticking to the shadows, she could see Leo was helping out Makayla while Raph and Tonya were tag-teaming with some Purple Dragons. Slicing another Foot Ninja, she looked and saw Marcus dueling with Don, the young man using a large, pocket knife. Olivia was busy kicking away two Foot Ninjas who were trying to get in and help Marcus.

"Mikey! We've gotta help Don!" Samantha shouted to the youngest turtle.

"I'm on it, Sammy!" Mikey yelled back as they headed towards Don. But before they could reach him, Olivia managed to sneak up behind Marcus with a metal pipe and was about to raise it when Marcus whirled around and plunged the knife into Olivia's stomach. The pipe clattered to the ground as Olivia clutched the bleeding wound and fell to the ground.

"'LIV! NO!" Samantha screamed as she hurried beside her best friend. Blood was pouring from the wound, and Olivia was shivering as her body slowly began to become colder. Samantha was so busy tending to her friend that she didn't notice that Marcus was advancing on her, gun drawn and pointed at her.

"Samantha! WATCH OUT!" Leo yelled. She turned and saw Marcus, but his finger was already on the trigger and he pulled it without hesitation. Samantha closed her eyes when she heard the _BANG!_, but when she felt no pain, she opened her eyes. But as soon as she did, she wished she'd kept them closed because she saw a familiar figure on the ground, swimming in his own blood and another one standing over them, looking triumphant.

******Gasp! Another cliffhanger! Sorry, but this time, I _promise_ I'll update tomorrow so that you don't die from the anticipation! So, who is lying in front of Samantha, bleeding? Will Marcus's plan succeed? And what do you guys think of Makayla, the girl you've been asking me to tell you about for weeks now? Stay tuned for the coming chapters! So, you guys know how important reviews are to me! So please start reviewing...now!  
**


	29. Chapter 29

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**So, shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers: NeverMindSoGo, IceColdFever, Gamerlady123, RAHELA, grapejuice101, pokemonjkl, Drusilla52, flamedragon242 and White Fairy Writer! I cannot believe this story has now topped 100 reviews! This is something I never thought was possible! Thank you to everyone who has/is/will follow this story and left reviews! But it's not done yet, my readers, so please continue to follow it! Now, I bring you episodes 13, 14 and 15 of season 1: Notes from the Underground... with my own creative twists! Enjoy it and remember: spread the word about this story to all your readers and friends! Happy reading!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**_  
_

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Samantha couldn't believe her eyes. As she clutched Olivia tighter to her, she looked at Marcus Danielson the Third, the creep who'd almost rape her and who'd stabbed her best friend, who was in front of her, bleeding on the ground from a slash to the stomach. Looking up, she saw that Leonardo's katana blades were covered in the young man's blood, the blue-bandana wearing turtle had a look of grim triumph on his face.

"L-L-L-Leo?" Sam stammered. It was then that he turned to her and saw the frightened look on her face. The red veil in front of his eyes lifted and he stared in horror at the blood on his swords.

"Samantha? I…I…I…" Leo stammered, but he couldn't find the words to explain why he'd done what he'd done. It was then that she noticed the wound to his shoulder. It was the graze mark from a bullet. She'd seen in the TV episodes of _Law and Order: SVU _that she watched. Leo had taken a bullet for her and Olivia.

"We're not winning this one, guys," Leo told his brothers.

"Then I vote we get the shell out of here," Don said, batting away another Purple Dragon. Samantha noticed he was limping and saw a cut on his thigh that was bleeding. Her blood boiled at the sight of her ninja boyfriend hurt. She quickly looked around for Makayla and Tonya, but they were nowhere to be found.

"Where are Makayla and Tonya?" Samantha shouted to Mikey.

"Raph and I got them outta here without them seeing us!" Mikey hollered back, whacking away two Foot Ninjas with his nunchucks. "They're a little shaken, but they managed to haul shell outta this place!"

"We've gotta get Olivia out of here," Sam said to Leo as he knelt beside her. Putting two fingers to her friend's neck, she found a weak pulse. "She's still alive. But she needs medical attention. And we don't know if Marcus has got goons stationed outside the nearest hospital."

"Then I'll patch her up back at the Lair," Don offered, leaning on his bo staff.

"But, Donny. You're hurt," Samantha pointed out, gazing at the cut on his leg.

"It just stings a little, Sam. I'm fine," he answered. "Now, let's get the shell out of here." He pressed a button on the remote for the Battle Shell and soon, the armored car came zooming into the alleyway, scattering thugs left and right.

"Everyone! Get in!" Don hollered. "Raph, you drive!" he added, tossing the keys to the hotheaded turtle. Samantha and Leo gently loaded the unconscious Olivia into the Battle Shell. Suddenly, Samantha heard a sound and turned to see Marcus groaning and twitching. He was still alive! The engine roared to life and Leo just managed to get her inside before Raph gunned them off into the night towards the Lair.

* * *

Raph drove insanely fast, probably because he saw the dire look on his brother's girlfriend's face as she cradled her friend in her lap, applying pressure to the bloody wound in her stomach.

"This is all my fault," Sam whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks, not caring if the others were watching her or not. "If I'd told Olivia what happened last night with me and Marcus, none of this would've happened! Olivia would still be here, and…!"

"Hey. She's not dead yet," Don reminded his girlfriend, putting an arm around her. "Don't give up hope."

"Besides," Mikey added. "Olivia looks like the type of girl that does what she wants despite what **anyone **tells her. So, maybe you actually saved her life."

"Oh, c'mon Mikey!" Raph scolded. "Quit living in Dreamland and get yer head in da real world! Dis **is** yer fault, Princess! Screw what she woulda thought! Ya shoulda told her about da creep! Dat way, if she still went out with 'im, then she couldn't say ya didn't warn her! Now, she can!"

"Way to be sensitive, Raph!" Mikey shot back in Sam's defense.

"Hey! I ain't wrong! I'm blunt, but I ain't wrong!" Raph defended.

"Enough! We'll discuss this later!" Leo broke in, quashing the argument for now. "For now, let's focus on getting to the Lair and getting Olivia patched up and sorted out!"

It wasn't long before they reached Eastman and Laird and then entered the garage. Hurrying down the elevator, the doors finally slid open and the familiar sights of the Lair greeted Samantha. Mikey was holding Olivia in his arms when Master Splinter approached them.

"My sons! I was not expecting you until…!" Master Splinter began to say, but then, he saw the unconscious girl in Mikey's arm, the wound in Leo's shoulder, the gash on Don's leg and the blood on Samantha's hands. He groaned. "What mischief have you managed to get yourselves into **this** time?"

"Please, Sensei! This is all my fault!" Samantha told him. "My friend was stabbed by her date, and we barely lasted against the Foot and the Purple Dragons! We didn't want to chance that Shredder had the nearest hospital being monitored, so we brought her here."

"Were there any other "damsels" you boys had to rescue?" Master Splinter asked pointedly.

"There were two others, but we stayed in the shadows and got them out safely," Leo replied. "They managed to escape and get out of there. They should be alright."

"Sensei, I trust Olivia. She can keep a secret," Sam continued. "She needed our help. And we couldn't leave her there to die."

"Donatello. Please, take our guest to your lab and help her to the full extent of your medical and surgical capabilities," Splinter instructed, Don nodded and then took Olivia from Mikey's arms and carried her off to his lab. Mikey gazed after the two, his face filled with worry and sorrow.

"Michelangelo, go and assist your brother with Ms…." Splinter looked at Samantha.

"Her name's Olivia Fernandez," she informed the rat master. He nodded his thanks to her. Mikey, looking like he'd just had a huge burden lifted from his shoulders, hurried after Don and Olivia.

"Assist your brother in treating Ms. Fernandez. Raphael, please boil some water to make some tea for when she awakens. Leonardo, please bring some blankets and a pillow for Ms. Fernandez. Princess Bushido-san, you must wash the blood from your hands and change into something less…conspicuous. Your friend does not need to know of your…capabilities."

"She's already seen me in this outfit, Sensei," Samantha replied. "There's no use trying to hide it from her now."

"You may be correct," Master Splinter intoned gravely. "I will be in my chambers if you have need of me, my children." He walked away, silent and thoughtful. Raph headed for the kitchen, leaving Leo and Sam alone. She looked down at her bloody hands and then put them down by her sides. She glanced at Leo, who was looking away with a guilty look in his eyes.

"You OK, my Fearless leader?" she inquired, sounding worried. He turned to her, and his eyes betrayed that he was still horrified about what he'd done to Marcus in that alley.

"I'm fine," he answered curtly. "C'mon. I'll show you where you can wash up." He turned and led her to their bathroom and stood watching her as she scrubbed her palms and underneath her fingernails until the water in the sink was red. She looked up in the mirror and saw him looking at her. Their eyes locked, and she quickly looked back down at the red-spotted sink.

"Samantha," she heard him say. "I…I know you can't bear to look at my face after what you saw, but…"

"Leo. You don't understand," she replied.

"Of course I do. I saw the look on your face when you saw Marcus and the blood on my swords. I killed a young teenager in cold blood. I'm a monster. I…"

"Leonardo, you're **not** a monster. And you didn't kill him."

"What? Samantha, I still have the blood on my swords. I saw him lying in his own blood, not moving."

"Well, I saw him moaning and twitching just before we hauled shell outta there, and I know I wasn't hallucinating. Marcus is still alive Leo…no matter how unsettling that is." She turned around and looked at him. He was staring at her like she'd just given him hope.

"So, I didn't…"

"No. And even if you **had**," she said, walking over and standing in front of him, "you were defending Olivia and me from a narcissistic bastard who was about to shoot us." It was when she said the word "shoot" that she remembered the graze mark on Leo's shoulder. Her fingers reached out and traced it, causing him to wince with pain.

"Sorry," she apologized, quickly withdrawing her hand.

"It's OK."

"You took a bullet for me, Leo. You didn't have to."

"Actually, I slashed at the gun and hit it on an angle. I was kind of surprised when the bullet grazed me. But at that point, it didn't matter. All I knew was that there was a gun pointed at you, and that the same creep who'd almost raped you the night before was going to shoot you. I…I just saw red, and I snapped."

"Leo. Have you been listening to Bruno Mars lately?"

"No. Why?"

"Because what you did for me and Olivia tonight is exactly what Bruno Mars said he'd do for his girl in that song "Grenade"."

"What'd he say?"

"That he'd take a bullet straight through his brain and die for his girl. And even though I'm not "your girl", you almost did the same thing for me and Olivia tonight."

"I'd do again in a heartbeat."

"Quit being so dramatic, Leo."

"Who said I was being dramatic?"

"You're not serious. Are you?"

"I'm your Protector, Samantha. I take that duty pretty seriously."

"Uh-huh? Is that the **only** reason?" Leo blushed and looked away. Samantha silently sighed. It was then that she leaned in and kissed him on both cheeks.

"Thank you, Leo. For helping my friends **and** saving me."

"Like I said, I'd do it again in a heartbeat." She was so close to him that he could smell the scent of her perfume mixed with the sweat of the battle. And her lips were still soft and sweet against his skin. This was impossible. He was the leader of his brothers, entrusted by his master. How could he be so powerless, vulnerable and irrational in the presence of one, human girl, even if she **was** ninja royalty?

Sam could clearly see that Leonardo was still in love with her, but as much as she still liked him, her heart belonged to the techno turtle of the brothers. She needed to get out of this situation before she gave in to the urge to press her lips to her Fearless leader's mouth and simply forget about her best friend, her ninja turtle friends, and her sweetheart, genius boyfriend.

"Leo? You know I'd never do anything to hurt Don, right?"

"I know." _But what he doesn't know won't kill him,_ Leo added in his mind.

"Then please don't tempt me." Looking a bit shocked, Leo stepped away from Samantha and allowed her to walk off to Don's lab and check on her best friend.

* * *

Mikey was watching as Don's needle sewed up the wound to Olivia's tanned stomach. The lights were brighter than the Sun, and the EKG was beeping loudly as an IV needle brought fluids into her system. Her skin looked somewhat paler than it had when she was alive and fighting. Mikey allowed his gaze to wander down her body. Even when she was unconscious and fighting for her life, she was still a goddess to him. He'd never thought a human girl would have this kind of effect on him. She was the first human girl he'd ever met that shared his love of comic books and superheroes. She was in love with his alter ego, Turtle Titan, and was dreaming that she'd be rescued by him. Mikey could imagine himself in his full superhero regalia, holding Olivia in his arms after saving her from some great evil: her eyes shining, her arms around his neck, her voice calling him her hero.

Don finished stitching up the young woman and turned around in time to catch Mikey ogling at her. His youngest brother quickly flushed red and turned away as Don let out a chuckle. It was obvious that Mikey was developing feelings for Olivia. He'd never seen his brother so scared for anyone else except one of them or Master Splinter before. Now, he couldn't keep his eyes off the girl. _Ah, __l'amour_! he thought to himself, smiling as he now tended to Olivia's other bruises and cuts.

Just then, there was a knock on the door and Samantha slipped inside the lab as silently as possible. She approached the table and stood beside Mikey.

"How is she?" she asked in a whisper. Don came over, wiping his hands on a sterile towel.

"She's lost some blood, but not as much as she could have," Don answered. "If that knife was two inches more to the left, he would've punctured her spleen. The wound was deep enough that I had to stitch it up, but not enough to cause any significant damage to any internal organs or major organ systems. She'll be weaker than usual for a few weeks, but she's out of the woods and I expect her to make a full recovery. I'll have her take some iron supplements to make sure her iron levels don't drop too drastically. Other than that and some cuts and bruises, she's a very lucky girl."

"When will she wake up?" Mikey asked.

"Patience, my love struck brother. Patience," Don teased. Sam turned and looked at the blushing Michelangelo before shaking her head, smiling while she did. "She should be waking up soon. I'd give her a few hours or so."

"Thank you, my turtle genius," Samantha said to Don, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him. "You saved Olivia's life. How can I ever thank you for doing this?"

"I'll settle for nothing less than the Nobel Prize…and a kiss from the love of my life," Don chuckled, pulling her closer to him. Samantha's eyes immediately lit up with that mischievous light he loved.

"Well, unless I can convince the Nobel Prize committee to create a new branch for mutants and other foreign life forms, which is not likely to happen, then there's not much I can do about your first request," she teased.

"And the second one?" he questioned, staring down at her.

"Well…**that** one…is definitely possible," she whispered, drawing his face to hers. Their mouths met in a passionate kiss, and as Don's grip tightened on her, he couldn't help but moan into her mouth at how sweet this kiss was. It set him afire with desire and lust. His tongue met with hers, and the battle for supremacy raged, with Don emerging as the victor.

"Forget the Nobel Prize," Don whispered, breaking away for a moment. "This is a million times better!"

"I thought you'd say that," Samantha replied, pulling Don back into another kiss that had her mind whirring. Never had she felt like this before. But she loved it, and she wanted to keep going!

"Turtle mush! Get a room!" Mikey moaned playfully, looking away from his brother and his brother's girlfriend making out in front of him. "Well, since you two have found something to pass the time, I'm gonna play with these crystals, Donny," Mikey said, heading over to the table where two of the strange crystals lay. The words of his trouble-finding brother somehow managed to penetrate Don's kiss-addled brain. He broke away from Sam, still holding her in his arms.

"Mikey. Remember what that guy in that horror movie you were watching a few weeks ago said?" Don asked pointedly.

"Yeah, yeah. "Perhaps, there are some things man was never meant to tamper with!" HA! Nothing says a **turtle** can't tamper with it, though!"

"Mikey!" Samantha said, but it was too late. Suddenly, a loud humming sound could be heard as Mikey unintentionally touched the two crystals together, causing them to glow brightly. The sound waves felt like they were punching Samantha's insides, especially her brain. The young girl moaned and covered her ears as she sank to the ground. Don immediately noticed the effect the crystals were having on his girlfriend and knelt down beside her.

"Mikey! Stop doing that!" Don shouted. "You're hurting her!"

"Donatello! What is happening?" Master Splinter demanded as he, Leo and Raph came hurrying into the lab. Suddenly, the loud humming noise stopped and the crystals' glow faded. Samantha felt weakened and a bit dizzy.

"Are you alright, Samantha?" Leo asked as he and Don helped her to her feet.

"I…I think so," she groaned, massaging her aching temples.

"Are we in any danger, my son?" Master Splinter inquired of the genius turtle.

"Maybe the harmonics of the crystalline structure…" Don began, examining the crystal, but even he didn't sound too sure of what he was saying.

"You have no idea, do you?" Raph said bluntly, not bothering to beat around the bush.

"Not a clue," Don confessed.

"**I **started the whole thing!" Mikey added, throwing his arms around Don's and Raph's shoulders. Just then, an alarm sounded, causing Samantha's head to ache even more.

"Now what?" Leo and Sam asked at the same time.

"Something tripped a perimeter alarm in one of the old subway tunnels," Don explained, bringing up video footage of the area. Suddenly, a black figure dashed at an incredible speed across the screen, vanishing in seconds.

"What the-?" Leo began to ask.

"Sewer rats are gettin' bigger," Raph commented, taking out his sais.

"Yeah. Time to cut the cheese," Mikey added, earning an eye-roll from Sam and a head shake from Leo. "That's **not** what I meant."

"Let's roll!" Leo commanded, leading his brothers and their ninja friend to the Sewer Slider.

* * *

The Sewer Slider cruised along the tunnels without any problems, sewer water been parted like the Red Sea as they continued to their destination.

"Let's not announce ourselves," Leo told Don. "Switch to stealth mode." Don nodded, and pulling back on a lever, the Slider cruised silently along the tunnels towards the source of the disturbance. Finally, they came to a halt and leapt out of the Sewer Slider.

"Nothing," Raph said.

"Don't be so sure," Don said, the beam of his flashlight illuminating the strangest symbols that Samantha had ever seen in her life. They travelled from the ceiling and then along the wall.

"This is odd," Don commented.

"What have you got?" Leo asked.

"Some kind of weird tracks melted right into the stone," Don said in awe. Everyone but Mikey followed Don as he followed the strange tracks to a huge hole in the wall that stretched on for miles it seemed.

"Whoa!" Sam breathed.

"Whatever it was, it tunneled right through the cement," Raph observed. Don handed the flashlight to Sam before reaching into his bag and taking out a Ziploc bag and a small chisel. He began chipping away at the dirt underneath the tunnel.

"It looks as though the molecules have become unbonded," Don grunted as he chiseled away, finally breaking off a small piece of the rock. "Maybe a catalyst or some kind of acid."

"But what creature on Earth generates a powerful enough acid to cause the molecular structure of solid matter to become unbonded?" Samantha asked. "Unless… it's not from Earth."

"OK. This is the part in the monster movie where the first attack happens," Mikey said, sounding scared. He was looking around as though he could feel someone watching him. "The first guy never makes it! Need I say more?"

"Just calm down, Mikey until we find out what this is!" Leo told him firmly. Then, he turned back to Don. "What is this?"

"Another mystery," Don replied. "But one thing's for sure though: I've never seen anything like it!" Don and Mikey said at the same time.

"That's it! I'm outta here!" Mikey shouted, leaping back onto the Sewer Slider and taking out his nunchucks, twirling them and looking around as if he was expecting to be attacked from all sides.

"Hey. Whadda get when ya cross a turtle and a chicken?" Raph asked. Silence. "Mikey."

"Raph!" Samantha sighed, shaking her head. Leo shot her a sympathetic smile that read: _Now you see what I have to deal with everyday of my life!_

"We should get back, though," Samantha told them.

"Don' t tell me **yer** scared too, Princess?" Raph chuckled.

"HA HA. Very funny, Hothead. But no," she replied, giving Raph a slight shove. "I'm worried about Olivia waking up and finding herself in a strange place with a five foot mutant rat standing over her!"

"Good point," Raph replied.

"I need to get back anyway," Don added, shouldering his back. "To analyze this and find out just what we're dealing with here." They began walking away from the tunnel when Samantha thought she heard something growl.

"Leo!" she whispered, grabbing his arm. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" he asked, looking around.

"That growl! I heard it!" He looked around and saw no shadow or figure in the tunnel.

"I think you've watched one too many horror movies with Mikey, Samantha," Leo said, smiling. "Your imagination's starting to play tricks on you."

"Yeah. Maybe you're right," she replied.

"C'mon," he said, taking her hand in his. "Let's get out of here."

And as the two friends walked to the Sewer Slider, neither of them noticed the pair of glowing, red eyes that illuminated the large tunnel behind them, or heard the growl of a beast so ferocious, so dangerous, that no one that had set eyes upon it had ever lived to tell their tale.

**Mikey: So, when's Olivia gonna wake up?**

**Don: Shut up, Mikey! You're not the one writing this story!  
**

**Me: Exactly, Mikey! Now, go sit and play your video games!  
**

**Mikey: Fine! Just wake her up soon!  
**

**Me: Keep that up, and she'll be Sleeping Beauty for a while!  
**

**Mikey: Then I'll wake her up with a kiss! Can I? Can? Can I?  
**

**Raph: Then she'll be deader than a doornail!  
**

**Me: Don't be mean to Mikey, or I'll put Tonya with someone else and have Paulina cheat on you!  
**

**Raph: Oh really? *gets evil look on his face and takes out his sais*  
**

**Me: Uh-oh. *runs to Leo* Leo! Save me!  
**

**Leo: Oh no. You got yourself into this mess. You get yourself out of it!  
**

**Me: I hate you! *runs away with Raph chasing behind*  
**

**So...reviews fuel my creativity, guys, so start using that little button at the bottom of the screen and review, review, review! I'll have the next chapter up soon! Happy reading!  
**

**-Livangel16  
**


	30. Chapter 30

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**So, shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers: Extreme Dinosaur Fangirl, NeverMindSoGo, IceColdFever, grapejuice101, bell-13-tmnt-lover, flamedragon242, honkytonk-babe3, snow299, pokemonjkl and TheCityBurnsTonight! You guys are amazing, and I hope to keep seeing reviews from you! And to all those following this story and adding it to all the things that matter to us writers, many thanks to you! So, like I said before, the next few chapters will be based on Notes from the Underground with some twists. Also, Olivia meets the Turtles! Let's see how that goes, shall we? Enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**_  
_

Chapter Thirty

Back at the Lair, Donatello had set up a makeshift lab so as not to disturb the still unconscious Olivia with the fumes of the chemicals he was using to try and convert the molecules back to their original state. Samantha was sitting down beside Leo, who was close to Master Splinter. She couldn't get that growl out of her head no matter what she did. Had she been imagining things like Leo had told her? She didn't think so.

Pouring a green liquid and watching it steam but not change the state of the matter, Don took off his protective face mask, looked up and said, "Hmm."

"Was that a good "hmm" or a bad "hmm"?" Mikey asked in his panicked voice. "Because this is the part in the movie where we're supposed to be looking for the monster's one weakness. Otherwise, we can kiss our shells goodbye! Trust me. You don't wanna underestimate a monster!" Raph, who was drinking a glass of water, quickly threw the remains of it in Mikey's face. Shaking his head and spraying Samantha and Leo with water drops, Mikey seemed to calm down.

"Thanks," he said to Raph.

"You're lucky," Samantha told him bluntly. "I was seriously gonna consider smacking you in the head if you didn't stop rambling like that, Mikey."

"What can you tell us, Donatello?" Splinter inquired, leaning on his walking stick.

"It looks like that creature melted right through the stone," Don replied. "Being able to liquefy stone is a perfect ability for a subterranean life form."

"I am hearing answers that raise more questions," Splinter intoned. "A wise strategist gathers all his information before deciding on a course of action." Just then, movement could be heard coming from Don's lab.

"Hello? Where am I? What is this place?" cried a familiar voice.

"Looks like yer friend's awake, Princess," Raph said.

"'Liv!" Sam shouted, leaping off her perch beside Leo and running back to Don's lab, the others hot on her heels. The young woman was struggling to sit up as she fought the pain from the wound in her newly-stitched up stomach. She breathed a visible sigh of relief when she saw her best friend come bursting into the room. Samantha flung herself into Olivia's arms and hugged her tightly.

"Ow! Sammy! I'm kinda injured here!" Olivia replied, chuckling as she hugged her best friend back. Just then, Olivia opened her eyes and saw the four, gigantic turtles and a huge rat wearing a robe standing behind Sam! She wanted to scream, but her throat was dry, and she couldn't bring the air into her lungs to make a loud enough scream that could scare them away.

"S-S-S-S-Sam!" she stammered. Sam pulled back and looked at Olivia, who looked like she was gonna pass out any second from fright.

"What's wrong, 'Liv?"

"B-B-Behind you!" she squeaked, pointing over Sam's shoulder. The young woman turned and looked at the Turtles and Master Splinter before she turned back to her friend.

"Oh. Relax, 'Liv. It's OK."

"OK? Samantha Bushido, there are four, huge turtles and a giant rat standing behind you!"

"I know. They're my friends."

"Your friends? Have you gone nuts?"

"'Liv, chill out. They're not the Addams Family."

"They're just as freaky!"

"Who're ya calling freaky, kid?" Raph demanded, taking a step forward.

"I-I-I-It can **talk**?" Olivia screeched.

"Yeah," Raph replied. "Shocked, ain't ya? Ya gonna faint soon?"

"Raph. You're not helping," Leo told him.

"Look, 'Liv. They're not gonna hurt you. In fact, they saved your life."

"Huh?" Olivia looked nothing less than confused.

"What's the last thing you remember, 'Liv?" Sam inquired, sitting down on the table edge.

"Marcus had a knife, and he was fighting the turtle in the purple mask," Olivia said, looking at Don. "I was sneaking up behind him with a pipe, and then he turned around and stabbed me in the stomach. I must've blacked out because the next thing I know, I wake up in this place."

"This is their place," Samantha said, pointing to the four turtles. "We brought you here and Don here," she pointed to the purple bandana turtle, "stitched you up. He saved your life, 'Liv. They all did."

"Well…thanks for saving me," Olivia said to the four turtles.

"No problem, dudette!" Mikey said, batting the air with one hand. Olivia smiled.

"A surfer in New York City? Now there's something you don't see every day," she giggled, her eyes bright.

"Hey. Anything's possible, right?" Mikey countered with a smile.

"I suppose so," Olivia replied, smiling at Mikey. Mikey's face turned red. He was blushing. Samantha looked over to Don and they both stifled a laugh.

"So, who…or should I say, **what **are you exactly?" Olivia asked. It was then that Master Splinter stepped forward and Olivia shrank back a bit, which didn't go unnoticed by the mutant rat.

"Please. Allow me to introduce myself, Miss Fernandez. I am called Splinter. I am the boys' father and sensei. You may call me Master Splinter or just Splinter if you wish. We mean you no harm."

"Alright…Master Splinter. How did you become so…? How did they…?"

"Please, Miss Fernandez. Allow me to tell you the story of our origin. I have memories from when I was…normal. There was a young man with a glass jar with four, infant pet turtles in it. An old, blind man was crossing the street when a truck came out of nowhere. The boy was knocked aside and the glass jar broke, sending them into the sewers. As the truck swerved, a canister fell and smashed open, covering their bodies with a bright, green ooze. I had pity on them and gathered them up in a coffee can, but not before some of the ooze got on me as well. I brought them to my burrow. The next morning, when I woke, the four had almost doubled in size. The ooze had affected their bodies. It changed me as well. I became highly intelligent. The four of them followed me whenever I went and eventually said my name. As the years passed, I began to teach them ninjitsu and martial arts. From a book on renaissance arts that I fished out of a storm drain, I choose these names for them."

"Leonardo," the blue bandana turtle said. "You can call me Leo."

"Donatello," the purple bandana turtle said. "Call me Don or Donny."

"Raphael," the red bandana turtle told Olivia. "Call me Raph."

"Michelangelo's my name, and awesomeness, comics and superheroes are my game!" the orange bandana turtle exclaimed, leaping close to Olivia and bowing. "But you can call me Mikey, Mikester or Mr. Awesome!" Olivia laughed aloud.

"Is he always so…?" she began to ask.

"Oh, yeah," Leo answered, rolling his eyes.

"We've been trying ta find the "off" switch for years now," Raph chuckled. "Still no luck."

"Ignore Hothead over there, dudette," Mikey said, blocking Raph from view. "He's just jealous because he has no creativity! Whereas **I**, on the other hand, am gifted with mad skills in video games and creativity of the most monumental kind!"

"Oh brother!" Don and Sam sighed, shaking their heads.

"Wait. Samantha. What about the guys?" Olivia questioned.

"What guys?" Sam asked, looking confused.

"You know, Louis, Ralph, David and…Mike?" Olivia replied before it dawned on her. "Don't tell me…!"

"Yep. **These **four are the guys I've been telling you about. Leo's Louis, Raph's Ralph, Don's David, and Mikey's Mike. I think you can tell why I didn't tell you their real names and the whole story about them."

"And now that you know it, we're asking you to not reveal our identities to anyone," Leo added.

"And dat includes yer other two gal pals dat we rescued!" Raph told her bluntly.

"Oh, I won't tell anyone. I swear," Olivia said, raising her palm in the air like she was swearing an oath in court. "Besides, no one would ever believe me. Your secret's safe with me."

"Good. Now, back to our current problem," Splinter reminded everyone. Olivia frowned and Samantha quickly brought Olivia up to speed on what was happening.

"I wanna help," Olivia offered.

"It's too dangerous," Don told her. "Besides, your wound's not fully healed. We don't wanna risk the stitches popping or you being injured again."

"I'm a purple belt in karate, Donatello," Olivia informed him, jumping off the table and wincing only slightly. "I can handle myself in a fight."

"Den how come ya ended up getting stabbed by some lowlife punk tonight?" Raph muttered not-so-silently under his breath.

"He caught me off guard, Raph!" Olivia snapped, looking fierce. "You wanna see just how much butt I can kick when I'm **on** my guard?"

"Bring it on, tough girl!" Raph threw back, sliding into a fighting stance. Olivia did the same. Leo only sighed and shook his head.

"Hang on," Sam intervened. "I think I have a solution to the problem. Since Olivia's got the training, I think she should come with. And as for her injury, well…" Sam took out the Amulet from where it was tucked underneath the collar of her battle suit, "let's just hope that this thing's powers aren't only exclusive to the wearer. Olivia, lift your shirt so I can see the wound." Her friend did so and the four turtles and Master Splinter turned their backs to the two girls.

"Gentlemen through and through," Sam said, smiling. Then, she closed her eyes and concentrated her focus on Olivia's wound. Pressing the metal of the Amulet against her friend's skin, she cleared her mind of all else except Olivia's wound.

_Please work! _she begged. _Let the yin of this creature come forth and heal a wounded warrior! Please! Let her be healed! _She was shocked to hear Olivia gasp. Her eyes flew open as the Amulet glowed and the wound to Olivia's stomach seemed to grow older and older until there was only a red scar left.

"Awesome!" Sam cheered. Then, "You guys can turn around now!" as Olivia pulled down her shirt. The four turtles and Master Splinter turned and saw that by the smile on Samantha's face, she had been successful.

"So, can she come?" Sam asked.

"Well, since her injury's been miraculously cured, I don't see why not," Don said.

"Besides, she knows karate!" Mikey added before doing chopping the air in front of Raph's face. "Hiyah!" Olivia giggled and smiled at the goofball turtle.

"So, she can come?" The four Turtles nodded, although Raph still looked kind of reluctant.

"So, now that that's been settled, anyone up for a fact-finding mission?" Leo said to the others.

"If something's out there looking for us, I say we find it first," Raph voiced, smacking his fist into his other hand.

"All in favor, say aye," Leo told everyone. Leo, Don, Raph, Sam and Olivia all put their hands in.

"Aye," they chorused. All eyes turned to Mikey who swallowed hard.

"Meep," he squeaked.

"Close enough," Leo said, hiding a chuckle.

"Good luck, my children. May you return safely," Master Splinter said.

"Yes, my brothers and friends. Good luck to you," Mikey intoned in an impression of Master Splinter. Raph seized him by the bandana tails and dragged him off to get ready.

"Meet us back here in 30 minutes," Leo told Sam and Olivia at the foot of the stairs that probably led to the Turtles' bedrooms.

"How about we make it back here in 25 minutes and use the other 5 to wait for you slowpokes?" Sam teased. Leo rolled his eyes playfully and smiled.

"Think you can live up to your word, Samantha?" Leo challenged. She seized Olivia's hand and held her Amulet in the air with the other. There was a flash of light and both girls were gone.

"Maybe you can," Leo said aloud, heading upstairs to his room to pack.

* * *

In Samantha's room, there were two, huge backpacks on the floor and Olivia was shoving a few sweaters and underclothes into the bottom. Thanking her stars that she and Sam wore the same size clothing, she smiled as her friend came back with two armfuls of non-perishable food, bags of trail mix and nuts and several bottles of water.

"Sleeping bags can be attached underneath them through these loops," Sam told Olivia as she brought two, sleeping bags out of the closet before getting two, small pillows and a few blankets. "I don't know how cold it'll be underground, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Did you call your mom?"

"Yeah. I told her I'd be spending the night at your house because Marcus and I had a fight outside the movie theatre and some muggers tried to jump me, but you came and got me out of there," Olivia answered firmly. "And that I didn't know if they'd follow me home, so you told me it'd be safer to crash at your house."

"Wow, 'Liv. Who knew that you could tell such a convincing story?" Sam teased. Olivia's jaw dropped, and she hit Samantha playfully with the small pillow before packing it. The two girls giggled before recommencing to pack. Their bags were almost filled.

"Now, for the weapons," Samantha said, going to her closet and pulling out a large box and placing it in front of the wide-eyed young woman. She opened it and Olivia's eyes roved over a range of shurikens, tantos and smoke bomb pellets.

"I think I'll take a few smoke bomb pellets and some shurikens just to be on the safe side," Sam said, packing those weapons into pouches on her battle suit. Olivia reached out her hand, but then stopped short. With an encouraging smile from Samantha, she took the same weapons as her friend and a _tanto_.

"I have my _wakizashi,_ but you need a weapon, too, 'Liv. I've got it!" She dove back into her closet and took out what looked like a sickle attached to a heavy, metal chain with an iron weight on the end.

"A kusarigama?" Olivia asked in shock. "Where did you…?"

"It belonged to my father," Sam answered shortly. "Now, I'm entrusting it in your care, Olivia. Please, be careful with it. I know you can use it."

"I just aced my test to get my purple belt using a kusarigama," Olivia bragged, taking the weapon from her friend. "Don't worry, Sam. I'll bring it back in one piece. You have my word."

"Alright. Now, let's get back to the Lair so that we can get going, and so that Leonardo can eat his words!"

* * *

The six warriors stood at the hole, gazing into it. Samantha felt a chill run down her spine. It felt like something was watching them. Leo climbed in first, followed by Don, then Samantha and then Olivia. Mikey tried to sneak away, but Raph pulled him into the tunnel with them. The wooden supports creaked and bits of stone fell from the ceiling as they took out their flashlights and scanned the area for signs of the creature.

"What is this place?" Raph asked.

"There's an entire network of abandoned subway tunnels from the 1900s down here," Don explained.

"Abandoned? Right!" Mikey scoffed, silently reminding them of the monster that was running around down here.

"Hear that creaking?" Don said, illuminating the rotting beams of the support with his flashlight on the ceiling. "These old supports should've given out long ago. I suggest we all be really, **really** quiet!"

"Any sign of the creature's tracks?" Leo asked before he stopped. "Guys?" Everyone turned and saw his flashlight reveal the same footprint that they'd seen on the stone wall back in the sewers.

"Nope. Nothing here. Let's go home!" Mikey said, before Leo walked ahead of him with the others in tow.

"C'mon, Mikey," Olivia whispered, looking back at him. "We need answers, and the only way we're gonna get 'em is if we find that monster."

"You say that like it's a **good** thing, dudette!" Mikey replied in fear. Suddenly, chunks of rock began falling from the ceiling.

"Shh! Everyone be still!" Leo whispered.

"Ahh-ahh-ahh…!" Mikey said, feeling a sneeze coming on. Raph quickly covered his nose and mouth as the others looked on in silent fear.

"Not. A. Sound. Got it?" Raph told him bluntly.

"I got it," Mikey replied, pinching his nose as Raph let go of him. "AAAHHHHCCHHOOOO!" The noise echoed and Samantha covered her head with her arms, expecting the tunnel to begin caving in on them, but thankfully when she opened her eyes, the supports were still in place. She looked at Olivia, who looked just as frightened as she had. Both of them breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"Mikey! For crying out loud! Next time, bring an antihistamine!" Raph scolded as the five gathered around the turtle who'd nearly caused them to be buried in a subway tunnel.

"Hey! How am I supposed to stop a…a…huge, grotesque and frankly quite horrifying monster!" Mikey said, stepping back in fear. Olivia and Sam whipped around and saw a huge, stone-like creature with glowing, red eyes approaching them. Olivia opened her mouth to scream, but Sam quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, stifling the noise.

"Guys! We've got company!" Sam hissed to the others, who turned around and were shocked to see that for once, Mikey wasn't imagining things. The creature gave a huge, terrifying roar that finally caused the supports of the tunnel to give way and begin collapsing all around them.

"LET'S GET OUTTA HERE!" Sam screamed, seizing Olivia's hand and sprinting back down the tunnel. Mikey managed to sprint ahead of them, but the others were hot on Sam's heels. They reached the mouth of a cave and jumped out the way as the rock slide buried the tunnel completely. The flashlights went out, and it was pitch black.

"This just gets better and better!" Raph said, his sarcasm clear to the world.

"Just a sec," Don said before clinking the two crystals against each other to produce a light. Sam's head immediately to hurt again. Don saw her wince and gritted his teeth. "Oh, sorry Sam! I forgot the effect they have on you!"

"It's OK, Donny. We need light," she replied, giving him a grim smile. "I can tough it out."

"Ya think dat thing survived?" Raph inquired.

"Know your monsters, Raph! It can melt rock!" Mikey reminded him harshly.

"Oh yeah. Maybe I forgot because I was trying not to get buried IN A COLLAPSING SUBWAY TUNNEL!" Raph yelled in Mikey's face.

"Olivia. Are you OK?" Sam asked, helping her friend up.

"OK. This is officially tied for the most terrifying day of my life!" Olivia yelled.

"Tied with what?" Sam asked.

"Every other freakin' day of my life!" Olivia screamed. It was then that Sam, who was thoroughly annoyed by the crystals' sound waves pounding her brain into corn, shook Olivia hard and slapped her across the face.

"Keep it together, woman!" she told her best friend bluntly. Her best friend's eyes were wide with shock, but then, they became calm again.

"Thanks. I needed that," Olivia said, shaking herself.

"No problem."

"Let's keep moving!" Leo ordered. Don led the way with the illuminated crystals. Sam and Olivia were still walking beside one another as they followed Don to the brink of a cliff which seemed to lead down into a lower level of the cavern. Handing the crystals to Mikey, Don took a rope out of his "Bag of Tricks", looped it around a steady rock, and began his descent down the face of the cliff. Mikey followed him, Sam went next, followed by Olivia, Raph and finally Leo. The climb down was hard, and Sam was feeling tired after running like a maniac to get out of the collapsing tunnel. Finally, they reached the lower level and Samantha almost collapsed on top of Mikey. Olivia flopped down beside her, looking equally exhausted.

"I'm beat!" Don said, flopping back against the wall.

"Me too!" Sam seconded.

"Ditto on that!" Olivia added.

"Even my back ache's got a back ache," Mikey groaned, trying to massage the aching muscles.

"Let's make camp," Leo told them, panting and resting against the wall. Then, he turned to Raph. "You up for first watch?" In reply, Raph took out his sais and twirled them.

"You know me," he answered with a grim smile on his face.

"A little too well, Hothead," Samantha said, earning snickers from Raph's three other brothers as she unrolled her sleeping bag. Planting the crystals in the center, the five set up a small, makeshift camp around them. Leo and Don quickly fell asleep, but Samantha's head still ached thanks to those irritating crystals.

"Mikey, I'm nervous," Sam heard Olivia say to the goofball turtle. "I mean, what if that thing comes back and attacks us while we're sleeping?"

"Relax, dudette," Mikey replied. "Nothing gets past Raph. And even if it **did**, you've still got me, Leo, Don and Sammy to protect you. Plus, you're a purple belt in karate. You can totally kick shell!"

"I've never been very confident in my skills, Mikey," Olivia confessed. "I mean, I couldn't even save myself in that alley." Sam, pretending to be asleep, rolled onto her stomach and watched as Mikey tilted Olivia's chin up with his fingers so that she was looking into his eyes…or at the white parts.

"That was **not** because you lacked the skills, Olivia," he told him firmly. "That was because some lowlife punk decided to fight without any honor just so that he could get what he wanted. He had a gun on you, and then he stabbed you with a knife because you were about to put the smack down on him. I bet if we ever run across those monsters that you'll be kicking shell just as well as me."

"Really?"

"Really. Now, go to sleep. Sammy will kill me for keeping you up so late."

"No she won't! I won't let her!" Both of them started giggling like mischievous school kids. It was all Sam could do not to roll her eyes at the sappiness. Who knew Olivia would take to the guys so quickly, especially the orange-bandana, comic book loving, nunchuck wielding one?

"Oh, for Pete's sake, you two!" Samantha moaned, flopping back onto her pillow. "Shut up and go to sleep!" Sam heard them say their goodnights and then she settled back into her sleeping bag. Now, all of a sudden, she was feeling tired, and the crystals didn't seem to be hurting her head anymore. But before her mind could come up with a logical explanation for it, the humming of the crystals was drowned out and Samantha fell into a deep slumber.

**Mikey: Woohoo! Score one for the Mikester! I am on fire, baby! *does victory dance***

**Don: Mikey, you haven't even kissed the girl yet! Calm down!  
**

**Mikey: *stops victory dance*. Way to rain on my parade, Donny!  
**

**Me: Don't worry, Mikey. You'll be getting a kiss from Olivia. And sooner than you think, too.  
**

**Mikey: Woohoo! *continues victory dance*  
**

**Raph: Why are ya building up his hopes?  
**

**Me: Hey!_ I_ control the story here, buddy! I can tell him what I want!  
**

**Raph: Even if it's a complete and utter lie?  
**

**Me: Wow. I guess you don't wanna know when I'm planning for Tonya to lay one on you, then! *walks away*  
**

**Raph: Wait, what? Hey! Come back! I was just joking! *runs after me*  
**

**Leo: *shakes his head* How desperate can you get?  
**

**Don: Please! Like _you're _not desperate to find out when Makayla kisses _you_!  
**

**Leo: I like surprises.  
**

**Don: No you don't.  
**

**Leo: Good point. Hey! Wait up! *runs after Raph*  
**

**Don: *groans and shakes his head while watching Mikey continue to do victory dance*  
**

**So, reviews are what feed my creativity, my readers, so use that little button at the bottom of the screen and review, review, review! I'll have the next chapter up soon! So, like I said, reviews please, starting...now! Happy reading!  
**

**-Livangel16  
**


	31. Chapter 31

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**So, shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers: Extreme Dinosaur Fangirl, NeverMindSoGo, IceColdFever, grapejuice101, bell-13-tmnt-lover, flamedragon242, honkytonk-babe3, pokemonjkl, ZabuzasGirl, White Fairy Writer, Gamerlady123, RAHELA and my Guest! You guys are amazing, and I hope to keep seeing reviews from you! And to all those following this story and adding it to all the things that matter to us writers, many thanks to you! So, I am SO sorry for not updating sooner, guys. I was just in a writing slump for the longest time! But now, I'm back. Plus, an extra treat for all my loyal readers: the first chapter of my horror story spin-off to this story is coming out TODAY! Warning: may contain spoilers for this story later on, but still check it out and review it so I can see whether I should continue it or not! Anyways, enjoy this chapter!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**_  
_

Chapter Thirty-One

_Samantha was chained to a stone table in a strange chamber. All around her, mysterious figures wearing black cloaks surrounded a glowing obelisk of some sort, glowing beams protruding from their mouths and hitting the obelisk. They were chanting, "Rise to the top" over and over again. Then, one of them broke from the circle and approached her. Something about him made her anger rise. He was blond-haired and red eyes and pale as a ghost. But he was smiling cruelly, and that along with something else was ticking Samantha off enough to begin struggling against the chains._

_"And now, the sacrifice to the gods," he said and produced a knife from the pocket of his robes. The blade shone with a lethal sheen from the glowing light of the obelisk. Sam struggled harder against the chains, but it was useless._

_"You're crazy if you think you'll get away with this!" she shouted as he came close to her. "My friends and I will stop you!"_

_"You amuse me, little Bushido," he chuckled. "Your green friends cannot save you. **No one** can." Then, he raised the knife. "And with that knowledge, despair…and…DIE!" Samantha screamed as loudly as she could as the blade came crashing down towards her heart, praying that either someone would hear her or that God would intervene and save her life._

The young woman woke with a start. Shaking herself, she saw that she was back in the cavern. She felt weak and drained.

"Guys, wake up!" she heard Raph yell. The others awoke with a start. "Mikey, rise and shine! Everybody up! We're under attack! Our friend is back!" Samantha quickly shoved her stuff in her backpack.

"So, running would be a good thing, right?" Mikey suggested. Just then, Samantha heard a noise. She looked up to see the familiar figure of the monster from the tunnel pushing a large boulder down from a cliff towards them. Olivia screamed in terror.

"RUN!" Leo shouted. Sam grabbed Olivia's arm and followed Don and the others down another tunnel with the boulder rolling right behind them.

"Man! Do ya hate when this happens?" Mikey joked as the boulder gained more speed and gained on them.

"So not the time, Mikey!" Sam shouted as they continued sprinting down the tunnel. Finally, they reached what appeared to be the remains of a bridge that was almost completely demolished.

"Aw, great! The bridge is out!" Raph snarled.

"What do we do?" Mikey asked in panic. Raph quickly took out a rope with a hook attached at one end. Twirling it above his head, he was aiming for something on the other side of the chasm. The others whipped around and saw the boulder coming towards them.

"Hurry Raph!" Don yelled. Then, Raph threw the hooked rope with all his might and it sailed across the chasm and hooked around a stalagmite growing out of the cave floor. He tugged on it a few times to make sure it was secure and then began passing the rope back to the others.

"Grab on!" he ordered as everyone gripped the rope tightly in both hands. Olivia and Samantha managed to wedge themselves in between Mikey and Raph.

"COWABUNGA!" Mikey shouted as they leapt off the edge of the destroyed bridge just seconds before the boulder came and smashed down on it. Hanging from a rope against the face of a chasm wasn't what Olivia was expecting, Sam knew that much. But her best friend seemed to be handling it better than she'd anticipated.

"Mikey! I told you: no more cowabunga!" Raph scolded as he began to climb up the rope. Just then, Samantha felt the rope slacking. _This can't be good!_ she thought to herself.

"It's slipping!" Raph yelled as the rope began twisting and turning.

"What do we do?" she shouted back to the hotheaded turtle.

"Crack the whip! On my signal!" Raph said. "One! Two! Three!" Everyone kicked hard off the face of the cliff just as the rope came undone from the stalagmite. The six friends shot upwards like a whip had just been cracked. Back flipping in the air, Samantha, the four turtles, and Olivia landed on their feet like the warriors they were.

"I like a little excitement first thing in the morning!" Mikey chuckled.

"Gimme a break!" Samantha said, rolling her eyes.

"I was being sarcastic, Sammy," Mikey replied.

"How are we gonna get back with those things playing "Bowling for Turtles"?" Raph asked sarcastically.

"And humans," Olivia added. "Just thought I'd mention that."

"Noted," Leo told her.

"Look at this!" Don shouted. Samantha and the others walked over to the mangled remains of two, heavy-looking, steel doors. They were bent and pummeled off their hinges. "Not to make things worse, but you'll notice that this door was forced open…from the **inside**! Something was trying to get out!"

"Oh, that doesn't make things worse. It makes things **horrifying!**" Mikey exclaimed in fear.

"Shh!" Leo chided, as he pushed Mikey forward into the large room. Everyone followed Don, who was holding the crystals, Sam's head aching once again. Why was it that when she'd slept by the crystals earlier, they hadn't troubled her, but now that she was near them again, they were? That mystery, she decided, would have to wait until another time. Samantha gazed around the room in amazement and horror.

"Whoa! Creepy!" Sam breathed.

"Anybody got a clue what dis place is?" Raph asked. Everyone put down their backpacks and began to explore the abandoned room.

"You want a wild guess?" Mikey inquired nervously.

"No," Raph replied.

"It looks like one of those freaky labs from those horror movies with the mad scientist and the creatures he creates," Olivia suggested, shivering slightly at the creepiness. Debris and broken glass as well as sheets of lab notes were scattered all over the place. Several places were burned as though there had been a fire, and there was a crystal inside a slot behind a large console in the center of the room. The remains of damaged equipment lay like the skeletons of corpses around the room.

"I'm seeing devices related to physiology, biology, and genome analysis. My guess? This is a genetics lab," Donatello theorized. "They were experimenting with **mutation**."

"Oooooweeeeeeoooooo!" Mikey howled right into Sam's ears, causing the ninja princess to shriek and jump straight into Don's arms, who had to drop the crystals he was holding to catch her. Luckily, Leo was nearby and caught them before they hit the ground and went out.

"You OK?" Don asked her.

"Scared out of my wits by The Howling Turtle over here," Sam answered, glaring at Mikey before turning back to Don. "But other than that, I'm fine."

"You sure? Because I don't mind doing this for a while longer," he teased, tightening his hold on her.

"Oh brother!" Raph groaned. Olivia smirked, catching her best friend's eye as she mouthed _You and Don?_ Sam nodded her head, causing Olivia's smirk to widen before she mouthed again _Not bad._

"As much as I'd love that, my turtle genius, I need to pound Mikey for scaring the living heck outta me," Sam replied, kissing Don on the cheek. "Maybe another time."

"Like when **we're** not around," Leo chuckled.

"He's got a point," Samantha said. Smiling, Don placed her back on her feet and she whirled around, her face etched with anger as she turned to the goofball turtle. Smiling sheepishly, he backed away towards the huge console. Suddenly, a blaring noise like an alarm went off.

"MIKEY!" everyone shouted, even Olivia. The doors were sealed shut automatically and everyone grouped together.

"Over there!" Don shouted, pointing towards the console. The crystal began glowing and a bluish light shot straight up and began widening. Samantha could feel Olivia's nails digging into her arm as her best friend clutched her arm tightly.

"What the shell is that?" Mikey asked in horror.

"It looks like some sort of force field," Don answered as the force field began spreading across the room, passing through the equipment. Raph took out his sais and charged at the force field, penetrating it with one of his sais, which went straight through before dropping to the ground.

"What do we do now?" Raph demanded as the force field continued to approach them.

"Something tells me: do not touch!" Mikey replied. Backing away, Don tripped over a piece of metal and landed on his shell.

"Don! You OK?" Leo asked.

"Yeah. It looks like this field only affects living tissue!" Don said, trying to push it back.

"Too bad dat's exactly what we're made of, Donny!" Raph reminded him. Sam felt her back hit the wall. She placed her hands on the force field and tried pushing it, but the resistance was slowly beginning to overwhelm her. She looked around and saw Olivia and the Turtles trying to do the same thing.

"Don! What do we do?" Leo shouted.

"I'm thinking! I'm thinking!" Don yelled back as everyone pushed against the force field.

"Well, you'd better think of something fast! Or we're all…gonna be…a whole…lot…thinner!" Mikey grunted.

"The force field's too strong!" Samantha shouted. "Whatever's powering it is somewhere in this room!"

"The crystal! **It's **somehow powering all of this! Raph! Your sai can go through the force field! Aim for the crystal!" Don told him.

"You've got one shot, Raph!" Olivia added. "Make it count! No pressure!"

"Gee, thanks kid!" Raph grunted as he took out his sai and threw it hard. Sailing with incredible speed, it struck the console. Sparks of blue light flew out from the crystal and then, the force field vanished, sending everyone tumbling to the floor.

"That was close!" Sam heard Don say. A green hand extended to her and she allowed Don to haul her up.

"You girls alright?" Leo asked, looking from Samantha to Olivia, who was being hauled up by Mikey.

"We're good," Samantha replied.

"Now I know how oranges must feel!" Olivia groaned, massaging her aching wrists.

"Tell me about it, dudette!" Mikey agreed, tossing Raph back his sai before wrapping an arm around Olivia, who'd stumbled a bit from exerting so much energy. Sam looked at Leo who looked back, and the two exchanged smirks.

"And dat's de end of dat," Raph sighed in relief.

"No. It's only the beginning," Don countered from his spot near a huge monitor.

"I hate it when he says that!" Samantha groaned as everyone headed over to the slightly damaged monitor screen. Something red was being covered by the static, and then, the picture stilled to reveal an all-too familiar symbol.

"It's the sign of the Foot!" Don gasped.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Samantha growled, clenching her fists. She felt the familiar sensation of the _tengu_ washing over her and quickly slowed her breathing to calm her down.

"Every time we hit trouble, dat Foot symbol is stamped right on it!" Raph complained bitterly. "What is it **dis** time?"

"Uh…who are the Foot?" Olivia inquired, eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"They're a group of ninjas led by a man named Oroku Saki, who also goes by the name The Shredder," Leo explained. "He killed Master Splinter's sensei, Master Yoshi and Samantha's father, the great warrior Bushido. He's nothing but pure evil."

"Yeah. And he almost had Leonardo here believing he was a good guy," Raph jumped in. "And like a sucker, Leo believed him."

"He killed your father, Sam?" Olivia demanded, turning to Sam, the anger in her eyes plain to the young ninja princess.

"Yeah. And right in front of me, too," Sam replied, looking down at the ground. "I was twelve when he was murdered."

"Oh…my…God! WHERE is he?" Olivia snarled, whipping out the kusarigama that Sam had loaned her and twirling the chain in a lethal fashion. "When I get my hands on him, I'll…!"

"Whoa, whoa! Take it easy there, Xena: Warrior Princess!" Raph cautioned with a chuckle. "Don't worry about da Shredder. We took care of him."

"Or at least Master Splinter and Samantha did," Leo jumped in.

"So, like I said, what are da Foot up to dis time?" Raph asked.

"Let's find out," Leo replied as he, Mikey, Olivia, Raph and Sam stood close by the console as Don began pressing buttons.

"These look like some sort of video archives," Don theorized. "I'll see if I can access them." Punching something into the console, a video log appeared of a Foot scientist amongst other Foot Techs. He explained to his "viewers" that the Shredder believed that his enemies were hiding underground and that he was funding this project to find them. Samantha and the others were soon sickened as they saw people, actual **human beings** strapped to the lab tables and injected with some sort of mutagen.

"No! No! No!" the man begged as the tube was stuck in his arm and the green liquid began to flow.

"The subject may suffer some slight discomfort. But this is just a minor annoyance," the Foot scientist said. The man began shaking and slowly began transforming into a fang-toothed, blue-skinned creature, releasing a terrible roar.

"That poor guy," Leo breathed.

"If **that's** what this whackbag calls a "minor annoyance", I'd love to see what he'd call my ninja butt-whooping on him," Sam growled, gritting her teeth at the Shredder's blatant disregard for human life and peoples' freedom.

"Easy, Sam," Don whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him. He knew she might fly into a rage (especially with the _tengu_ beginning to act up) and destroy the monitor. Or worse…them. Besides, a bunch of genetically-engineered monsters running loose in the caverns were more than enough for all of them to deal with without a supernatural demon possessing their good friend and Don's girlfriend.

The logs went on to show various types of creatures in suspended animation, but then, the creatures began shrieking and attempting to break free from their prisons.

"Have we attempted too much?" the Foot scientist gasped into the camera. "Perhaps there are some things man was never meant to tamper with," the scientist and Mikey said at the same time.

"That's the one line in a monster movie you **don't** wanna hear," Mikey told the others, the fear in his voice clear to everyone.

"Umm…why is that, Mikey?" Olivia inquired, trying her best not to sound scared.

"You don't wanna know, 'Liv," he replied. "You **honestly** don't wanna know."

The head Foot scientist continued to explain how the creatures were controlled with shock restraints and that a settlement had been found underground. Samantha felt a bit smug when the same scientist reported that the settlement they'd found wasn't what the Shredder was looking for, but her anger instantly returned when he said they'd been ordered to destroy the creatures. Suddenly, the image changed. The lab was on fire, liquid and paper spilled everywhere. In the background, scientists were screaming and running in all directions.

"The creatures have broken free of their restraints!" the scientists screamed. There was a pink bruise below his right eye. "They are more intelligent than we had ever dreamed! They have tricked us and have been doing so for some time! No! No! Stay back! Stay back! AAAAAAHHHHH!" A dark shape similar to the one they'd seen on the security cameras in the old subway tunnel leapt across the screen and onto the scientist before the video fizzled and became static. Everyone gaped at the screen in horror and screamed when they heard a growl similar to the one they'd heard in the video archives. Sam gripped Don tighter and Olivia clutched Mikey's arm.

"So, in the movie, there's always one guy who can't take the pressure who I'm gonna do an imitation of right now," Mikey told them as he held onto Leo. "And it goes something like this: GET ME OUTTA HERE!" he yelled, running with his arms in the air towards the destroyed lab doors.

"Not dat I'd eva agree with 'im, but he's got a point," Raph said.

"Agreed. Fun's over. Let's go," Leo ordered. Everyone shouldered their backpacks and Don took the crystals back from Leo and led them out of the abandoned Foot genetics lab. They'd just turned the corner when a rumbling sound echoed through the cavern.

"Was that an earthquake?" Olivia asked in terror.

"I don't think so 'Liv," Mikey whimpered as he began backing away towards the rear of the group.

"Look!" Samantha yelled, pointing to the wall in front of them. The rock began to liquefy into a beige-like paste. There was a green acid-like substance that was mixed in with the rock that made Sam feel like puking. Suddenly, a blue-skinned, green-eyed creature with claws and fangs appeared from the large hole in the wall, followed by a red-skinned monster that looked like the mutated form of a giant crab. Just then, a third monster appeared and smashed the hole with its rock-like fists and made it big enough to get through. Samantha gasped as she saw that it was the same monster that'd nearly buried them beneath a ton of rock in the subway tunnel. Everyone threw their packs to the ground and whipped out their weapons.

"Uh, guys? This isn't the end of the movie…is it?" Mikey asked nervously, twirling his nunchucks.

"I hope not, Mikester," Olivia answered, the kusarigama clenched tightly in her hands, chain whirling.

"'Cause I don't think there's gonna be a sequel if it is," Samantha added grimly, her wakizashi ready to do battle with the three monsters, who looked prepared to square off against four mutant turtles and two human girls who were intruding on their territory. _Let's just hope this doesn't turn into a fight-to- the-death type of battle!_ Samantha thought to herself. _ Because if it does, they're we're in a shell-load of trouble!_

**Mikey: So what do we do?  
**

**Raph: What we always do, Mikey: Kick some serious shell!  
**

**Mikey: BB...BBB...But...they're MONSTERS! *screams like a girl and runs around in circles*  
**

**Me: *takes a frying pan and smacks Mikey in the head with it* Man up, will you Mikey?  
**

**Mikey: *rubs aching head and glares* FYI, dudette, I'm not a man! I'm a scared, totally terrified teenage mutant ninja turtle!  
**

**Don: She knows that, Shell-for-Brains! *smacks Mikey* Now, get your act together and let's get this over with!  
**

**Leo: Besides, what if _Olivia_ gets hurt? She'll need someone to save her. Like...oh, I don't know..._Turtle Titan_?  
**

**Mikey: Turtle Titan? Well, I dunno...  
**

**Me: *does false impression of Olivia* Oh, Turtle Titan! SAVE ME! This monster is about to hurt me, Olivia Fernandez! SAVE ME! SAVE ME!  
**

**Mikey: *rushes out and then returns in cape, mask and full Turtle Titan regalia. Strikes a superhero pose* Don't worry, 'Liv baby! Turtle Titan to the rescue! *dashes off*  
**

**Raph: Ya know he's gonna kill ya when he finds out ya were imitating his girl, right?  
**

**Me: I know. But by the time _he_ figures it out, I'll be on a beach in the Bahamas sipping on a margarita.  
**

**Mikey: *returns beaten up, twirling nunchucks and looking very pissed off* Alright! WHO SENT ME ON A WILD GOOSE CHASE?  
**

**Me: Crap. I didn't think he'd figure it out _that_ fast! Bahamas, here I come! *runs away*  
**

**Mikey: Come back here, you...you...you...AAAAARRRRGGGGHH! *chases after me*  
**

**Don: Whoa. This is gonna sound weird, but...remind me never to get on _Mikey's_ bad side.  
**

**Leo: Yeah. Think we should help her?  
**

**Raph: Nah. She had that one coming!**

**Me: *from the Bahamas with Mikey chasing me across the beach: I HATE YOU, RAPH!***

**Raph: Ahh! Music ta my ears!  
**

**Leo and Don: RAPH!  
**

**Raph: Alright. Alright. We'll go help her. *chuckles and whispers to the audience:after the next chapter!***

**Me: I HATE YOU! *continues running across the beach with a still-pissed-off Mikey chasing me*  
**

**So, reviews are what feed my creativity, my readers, so use that little button at the bottom of the screen and review, review, review! I'll have the next chapter up sooner than this one! So, like I said, reviews please, starting...now! Happy reading!  
**

**-Livangel16  
**


	32. Chapter 32

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**So, shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers: NeverMindSoGo, IceColdFever, grapejuice101, StillDoll13, flamedragon242, honkytonk-babe3, pokemonjkl, ninja-warrior101 and RAHELA. You guys are amazing, and I hope to keep seeing reviews from you! And to all those following this story and adding it to all the things that matter to us writers, many thanks to you! So, I just felt like writing a TMNT chapter today. Also, my horror story is up and so far, I've only gotten one review, which is better than none, but I'm still gonna BEG all my loyal readers to please check it out! Reviews mean so much to writers! Anyways, felt like writing TMNT stuff so, enjoy this chapter!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**_  
_

Chapter Thirty-Two

"Umm. I think I speak for everyone when I say: Zoinks!" Mikey croaked as the six friends began backing away from the three monsters, who were rapidly coming closer and closer to them. All three growled and showed that they were ready to fight the Turtles, Samantha and Olivia.

"Dat's it!" Raph growled as everyone re-drew their weapons.

"OK! You guys take the three on the left!" Mikey suggested.

"Dere **are** only three!" Raph growled back.

"Exactly! There's one for each of you, and 'Liv and Sammy can help you guys! And I'll just be odd turtle out!" Mikey replied.

"Ya got dat right!" Raph snapped at him before he, Leo, Don, Olivia and Samantha sprung into battle. Sam and Don immediately teamed up to battle the mutant crab-like monster, who looked harder to beat than she'd first thought. She flipped in the air and landed on the creature's back, slicing at it with her wakizashi. The creature bellowed and tried to buck her off, especially when Don smacked it in the stomach with his Bo staff.

"Yeehaw! Ride 'em, cowgirl!" Samantha whooped as she hung on for dear life like she was riding one of those mechanical bulls. Suddenly, she saw the rock-like creature crawling up the wall and positioned itself over Mikey's head.

"Raph!" she shouted, pointing to the creature as it prepared to drop on the unsuspecting turtle. Raph looked up, saw the danger and then nodded. The creature from the ceiling released its hold on the ceiling and began to drop towards the unsuspecting goofball turtle of the group, but Raph managed to kick it away.

"Watch yer back, ya oddball!" he scolded before the same monster smacked him hard and sent him flying.

"Odd? I'm not odd. I'm eccentric," Mikey thought aloud, rubbing his chin. Just then, Samantha was bucked from the mutant crab creature's back and soared across the room, landing at Mikey's feet. A few seconds later, Don joined her there, landing hard on his shell.

"Raph thinks I'm odd!" Mikey complained to Don. Brushing the dust off of himself and gripping his Bo staff tightly, Don got back to his feet. Samantha leapt up and grabbed her wakizashi from the ground.

"You're just being sensitive, that's all," Don replied before he and Samantha leapt back into battle.

"Sensitive? If there's one thing I hate, it's when people call me **sensitive**!" Mikey shouted. The creatures were proving to be tough to beat. After getting a few good sword strokes in, Sam turned and saw Leo and Olivia were battling the acid-spewing, blue-skinned creature. She hurried over to give them a hand. She managed to dodge an acid spew that landed on some of the large test tube chambers still filled with fluid.

"You will take no more of us!" the blue skinned creature declared in a raspy voice.

"You can **talk**?" Samantha and Olivia shouted in shock.

"We're not trying to take anyone!" Leo shot back. Just then, the large tubes began to rattle and shake violently.

"The acid's melted the base! They're gonna fall!" Sam shouted. The blue-skinned creature gasped in horror as one of the tubes came crashing down towards it.

"Look out!" Leo shouted before diving across and pushing the creature out of the way. Olivia's kusarigama chain quickly wrapped around the test tube and she managed to pull it away from Leo and the creature. Fluid and glass shards spilled across the floor as Leo was kneeling on the ground, facing the creature.

"Why have you attacked us?" Leo demanded. The blue-skinned creature merely stared at him, as if understanding that Leo had just saved its life and meant no harm. Just then, the stone-like creature came and caught Leo unexpectedly with a punch. He went flying into the ceiling and then crashed to the ground, landing on top of Mikey.

"You know something, Mikey?" Leo told his youngest brother. "They're thinking we're someone else!"

"Oh that's just great! We're getting our shells kicked, and it's **someone else's** fault?" Mikey inquired, groaning.

"Leo! Mikey! Are you guys alright?" Olivia asked as Sam helped up Leo and Olivia helped up Mikey.

"Besides being bruised by our leader crashing into me from the ceiling at about 90 miles an hour and a deep craving for a double helping of Kung Pao chicken, I'm alright, 'Liv," Mikey replied, smiling. "What about you?"

"I'm…" Olivia started to say, but then she was grabbed by Mikey, who jumped out of the way of a flying lab table. Landing on the ground, the two rolled until Olivia was underneath Mikey, her hands resting against his plastron, his arms around her.

"You OK, 'Liv?" he asked.

"I am now…thanks to you, Mikey," she replied, smiling. God, that smile! He just wanted to lean in and kiss her. The orange-bandana turtle blushed at the thought and then quickly got off of the human girl, holding out his hand for her. She took it and she was hauled up easily. Olivia turned and saw Samantha smirking beside Leo, who was shaking his head but smiling at the same time. Just then, another lab table went flying and barely missed them, snapping everyone back to reality.

"We're not winning this one!" Leo shouted as everyone regrouped near a pair of doors.

"Then I vote we get the shell outta here!" Don suggested.

"Run away? Dat ain't my style!" Raph countered.

"We know **your** style, Raphael," Samantha jumped in. "But we can't beat these guys fighting blindly. We need to get out of here and think of a strategy. Ya know, come up with a plan."

"Exactly," Leo agreed. "Call it a "tactical retreat"."

"We're leaving," Don said, pressing a button with his Bo staff. Dashing ahead, he, Mikey, Sam, Olivia and Leo ran down the stone corridor followed by Raph bringing up the rear. The roars echoing behind them indicated that the monsters weren't giving up the chase.

"In here!" Don yelled from inside a huge, empty room with a gigantic steel door. Everyone hurried inside.

"The door!" Olivia shouted. Everyone quickly hurried over and pushed the heavy, metal door. The roar of the monsters grew louder and louder. The door was almost shut when a red claw came and scratched the metal, aiming for Raph's head, but he ducked and it missed. Raph drew out his sai and stabbed the creature hard with it, causing the monster to bellow in pain and stumble backwards, just enough for them to close the door.

"Thank God!" Sam breathed, panting heavily. Just then, massive dents in the door became visible as the monsters pounded it from the outside.

"Me and my big mouth!" Sam groaned as everybody stepped back.

"Uh…somebody gonna answer that?" Mikey asked in fear. Just then, a huge hole appeared in the ground and the creatures crawled up and out. The mutant crab and the acid-spewing creature appeared in front of them while the stone-like creature appeared behind them. Everyone drew out their weapons and prepared for the fight of their lives. The red-skinned creature was about to attack when the blue-skinned one held it back.

"No!" it shouted, putting out an arm. Slowly, it walked towards Leo, green, bubbling acid dripping from its mouth and liquefying the dirt beneath it. It studied the mutant ninja turtle, but didn't attack him.

"Just say de word, bro!" Raph reminded him.

"And we're on them like grease on a frying pan!" Olivia finished.

"Easy guys!" Leo replied. "It's OK!" Everyone sheathed their weapons. The blue-skinned creature sniffed Leo a few times and then drew back.

"Who **are** you?" it asked, pointing at the six friends.

"Not who you think we are," Leo answered.

"Then why do you carry **those**?" the creature inquired, pointing at Don's bag, which was glowing. He took out the two crystals, which had some sort of effect on the three monsters and made Sam's head hurt all over again.

"Whoa! We found these crystals in a cavern that we're staying in! That's all!" Leo explained.

"Yeah! And just what business is it of yours, anyway?" Raph demanded.

"Those crystals are the embodiment of evil! And why does the human girl wear **that** around her neck?" the creature questioned, pointing to Samantha's Amulet. "I can sense its evil presence!"

"Trust me, pal! I wouldn't be wearing this Amulet if I wasn't forced to!" Sam answered. The creature seemed taken aback by her spunk, but then regained its normal composure.

"Why have you come here?" it demanded.

"'Cause one of you ogres went sniffing around our place looking for trouble!" Mikey exclaimed, drawing out his nunchucks. "So we're here to…!" Don quickly slapped a hand across Mikey's mouth.

"To… just look for some answers. That's all," Don finished.

"I'm Leonardo," Leo introduced. "And these are my brothers: Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo. The two young ladies are Samantha Bushido and Olivia Fernandez. They're friends of ours."

"We were drawn to your habitat when your crystals were activated," the blue-skinned creature informed them.

"Gee! I wonder who could've done that?" Don asked sarcastically as he, Sam and Raph glared at Mikey, who smiled sheepishly.

"Their energy is a sign of danger to us," the blue-skinned monster continued. "In addition to the signature of the creature that lives within Miss Bushido's pendant, we considered **you** dangerous …though we usually sense them coming from deeper below."

"Below? You mean there are more of these crystals down there?" Don asked in surprise, patting his bag. "We'd just like to find out where they came from! And maybe…!"

"No! It is a forbidden place!" the blue-skinned creature shouted, shaking its head. Don quickly backed up towards the others. "Something unspeakable dwells there amidst the crystals! There are some things man was never meant to tamper with!" Mikey was about to say something when Don slapped a hand across his mouth and Sam silenced him with a glare.

"He **is** an odd one," the blue-skinned monster commented. The six friends and the three monsters headed back to the abandoned lab. Olivia and Samantha were walking behind Leo and the blue-skinned creature.

"Sammy, I'm not sure I like this," Olivia whispered.

"Relax, 'Liv," Sam reassured her. "They're not going to hurt us. Besides, Mikey will protect you like he did back in the lab," she teased, giggling at seeing the blush come to Olivia's cheeks when she mentioned the goofball turtle. "I swear it hasn't even been a full twenty-four hours since you met him, and already you're falling in love with him?"

"I'm not in love with him!" Olivia hissed. "I just…think he's pretty cute and funny and sweet is all."

"Yeah," Sam said sarcastically. "And I'm dating Prince Harry behind Donatello's back. C'mon, 'Liv. Admit it. You like the guy!"

"Think whatever you want to, Samantha Bushido," Olivia said defensively, speeding up her pace. Samantha rolled her eyes and smiled. Her denial just confirmed everything. Finally, they reached the abandoned genetics lab.

"I can't believe Shredder had you genetically altered as diggers just to search down here for some "enemy"!" Leo growled.

"That goes double for the rest of us!" Samantha seconded, her eyes becoming slits.

"Yes! And he did so without remorse!" the blue-skinned creature snarled, clenching its clawed hands. "We were forced against our will to do his bidding!"

"He just snatched you at random? From where?" Leo questioned.

"The streets. Our offices. Our homes. Anywhere a shadow could conceal a Foot soldier. We don't know why we were chosen." Pity crossed Leo's face, making Sam's heart begin to sting as well. These creatures were once humans with families, jobs, lives of their own. And Shredder had destroyed all of that for his own selfish gain!

"What's your name?" Leo asked the blue-skinned creature.

"I am Quarry of Tunnel Squad 3," the blue creature said. "The others are Stonebiter and Razorfist," he said, pointing to first the rock-like creature and then the mutant crab-like one.

"No. Not what the Foot called you. Your **real** names?" Leo asked again. Quarry clutched his head and growled.

"S-s-s-s-s…My memory...! The experiments…have stripped us of who we are!" he replied, looking saddened.

"Yes. We saw the video log entries," Leo informed him.

"Well, don't worry about Shredder," Raph told Quarry as he leaned against a damaged console. "He got 'is due," he informed them, smacking his fist into his other hand.

"Yeah! He made the mistake of messing with the Ninja Turtles and their kick-butt ninja princess friend!" Mikey added, slinging an arm around Samantha's shoulders. "There's a lesson to be learned from that! If ya know what I mean!" Just then, the blaring noise of an alarm came on, causing everyone to gasp and look around.

"Man! I'm** really** starting to get sick of all these alarms!" Sam growled, clutching her head. Just then, a schematic appeared on the screen with one of the smaller circles blinking red.

"Oh no! The others! They tripped an alarm in the east delta tunnel!" Quarry gasped. Running over to the console with the crystal in it, the six friends followed Quarry. "Hurry! We must activate the crystal energy shield!" Quarry pressed a few buttons on the console and then the crystal sparked once or twice before fading out. Quarry frantically pressed other buttons, but the crystal did not light up.

"No! No!" Quarry shouted.

"Don't do a "no-no"! I hate "no-no's"!" Mikey said in panic.

"It's no good!" Quarry shouted to Stonebiter and Razorfist who were positioned neared the damaged doors. "The shield will not activate! We have no power! No force field! And they're headed this way!"

"Uh…yeah. We kinda met yer force field," Raph confessed sheepishly.

"And Raph kinda broke it," Mikey chuckled, earning a smack to the head from Samantha and a fierce glare from Raph. Just then, an unearthly, loud growl echoed into the room. Sam moved closer to Don, who wrapped an arm around her waist.

"What **is** out there?" Leo inquired.

"The others," Quarry replied curtly, trying desperately to get the shield running again.

"Other what?" Leo prodded.

"Test subjects!" Quarry snapped impatiently. "Like us! They endlessly prowl the tunnels!"

"Then why do you need to keep them out?" Leo asked.

"Because they attack us!" Quarry snarled, ripping out a monitor and taking some wires in his hand. "They're violent! Uncontrollable! Their minds have deteriorated!"

"From the genetic mutation?" Leo suggested.

"Yes," Quarry answered.

"Then, what about you three?" Leo questioned. Quarry gave him a grave look that made shivers and chills run down Sam's spine.

"Madness looms in our future as well," he answered. Another roar came echoing down the tunnel. Quarry put the wires' ends together and everything suddenly came to life. The crystal sputtered a few times before it died again.

"The crystal is completely burnt out!" he growled. "It is hopeless!"

"OK, Sammy! That's it! I want outta here!" Olivia screamed, running towards the doors where Stonebiter and Razorfist were.

"'Liv, wait!" Sam shouted, as she and Don began to go after her, but Mikey jumped in and grabbed Olivia, holding her fast.

"Let go of me, Mikey! Let go of me **right this minute**!" Olivia yelled.

"Olivia! Just calm down! I know things are looking bad, but you can't lose your head," Mikey told her calmly.

"Or my arms or legs or…anything else," Olivia whimpered. Mikey held her close.

"Relax, 'Liv. Sammy's here with you. Leo's here. Raph's here. Quarry, Don, Razorfist, Stonebiter, and me are all here, too. We're all here for you, 'Liv. Now, just keep calm and lemme see that shell-kicking warrior girl that was whooping monster butt earlier! No offense!" he quickly added to Quarry and his two companions. Olivia smiled and then took out her kusarigama, whirling the chain in a deadly circle.

"Bring 'em on!" Olivia growled.

"That's my girl!" Mikey crowed, whipping out his nunchucks. As a third growl came down, Samantha and the others followed Olivia's and Mikey's examples and whipped out their weapons.

"Weapons will do no good," Quarry told Leo gravely. "Without the force field, we don't stand a chance against them!"

"Don! Let's see if we can't fix this thing!" Samantha shouted, stowing her sword away. Don quickly followed her lead.

"They'll be on us in minutes!" Quarry warned them.

"Ya know, you're kinda freaking me out here!" Mikey scolded. "Are you always such a nay-sayer?"

"So what's the story, my turtle genius?" Samantha inquired. Don leapt onto the crystal's slot and picked it up. It crumbled into pieces in his hands.

"Burnt out, definitely. But…is that what the crystals are? Power sources?" he asked Quarry.

"Yes. But that was our only one," he replied. "And when we found it in the catacombs, we paid **dearly** for it."

"Well, what about one of ours?" Leo asked, taking out one of the crystals Don had brought from his brother's bag.

"They're too small and would not last," Quarry answered. Sam quickly snatched the crystal from Leo and handed it to Don who shoved it into the slot where the previous crystal had been.

"It only has to last until they give up and move on," Don countered. It didn't light up. "C'mon!" Still nothing happened. Quarry began pressing buttons again, but still nothing. Raph, Stonebiter and Razorfist sealed the doors closed, but if they didn't get the force field up, they would be overwhelmed in seconds.

"There is no spark!" Quarry hissed. Don clinked another crystal against the one in the slot. Nothing.

"For some reason, it just won't power up!" Don said. "Maybe the connections to these contact nodes were charred!" Quarry quickly ripped open another part of the console.

"Or maybe you've got the thing upside down!" Mikey suggested, kneeling close to the crystal.

"It's **not** upside down, Mikey!" Don countered. Just then, there was a strong banging noise against the doors. Raph and the other two were holding the doors as best they could, but it was clear that they couldn't hold out for much longer.

"It's now or never, Donny!" Samantha shouted as Raph and the others stumbled back. Olivia screamed as the other test subjects, who were in a more advanced state of mutation than Quarry, Stonebiter and Razorfist, came bursting into the lab. Don quickly inverted the crystal and shoved it in. It lit up almost immediately.

"It's working!" Don shouted as the shield activated, pushing the "others" back from the lab and far out into the tunnel.

"Don't think I didn't see that, Donny! It **was** upside down!" Mikey teased. Samantha rolled her eyes and smacked Mikey in the head for aggravating her genius boyfriend over an unforeseeable error. Don smiled and thanked her with his eyes. Just then, the crystal began glowing brighter and brighter.

"It's overloading!" Quarry shouted. Samantha silently prayed that the shield would hold for just a little while longer.

"They're leaving," Quarry told them. Just then, the growls and pounding faded away just as the force field disappeared.

"And not a moment too soon," Sam breathed in relief.

"But tomorrow they'll be back," Quarry warned them. "They always come back."

"Then you've got to get a bigger crystal," Leo told him.

"We will not survive another journey to the Forbidden Zone," Quarry said gravely, his face contorted with sadness and worry.

"What makes the place so…_forbidden_?" Mikey inquired.

"The ancient catacombs stretch for miles," Quarry explained. "We were forced to explore it. Many of us never returned."

"Uh…maybe they got lost?" Mikey suggested.

"They were taken by a ghostly entity!" Quarry snarled. "There is never any sign of a struggle! They're just…gone!"

"Look! I understand why you don't wanna go down there, but there aren't a lot of options here!" Leo told Quarry bluntly. "You need another crystal! And fast!"

"And, well…um…since we're the ones who kinda fried yer security system, we'll go with ya!" Raph added. "Right guys?" Everyone muttered in agreement before looking hard at Mikey, who swallowed and gulped.

"Ya know, the corner hardware store has a sale on generators that would really get this force field humming!" Mikey said. "So I'll just go up top and…!" Samantha seized his bandana tails and pulled him away from the exit.

"C'mon, Turtle Chicken of the Underground! We're going crystal-hunting!" Sam declared.

"Don't ya just love a girl dat takes command?" Raph chuckled.

"She has a lot of spunk," Quarry commented.

"She's also taken, _friend_," Don added as he walked past Quarry.

"Are they…?" Quarry began to ask, looking at Don and Samantha.

"Oh yeah," Leo answered, following his brother with Olivia behind him.

"Long story," Raph chuckled to Quarry as everyone headed out. Don was at the head of the line as he had the crystals as a light source with the three monsters bringing up the rear. Sam and Olivia were behind Don and in front of Leo and Raph.

"Alright. Let's keep our wits about us," Leo told Raph, but he was speaking to everyone.

"Don't worry Mikey. You can share **my** wits," Raph said to his youngest brother.

"Lay off him, Raph!" Olivia scolded. "Mikey's got wits just like everyone else!"

"Don't be too sure of dat, girlie," Raph countered.

"Well, me not having wits must be why I'm the only one bothered by the fact that we're heading into a place that even **monsters **are afraid of!" When they finally reached the bottom of the winding rock staircase, Quarry directed them down another tunnel.

"This is a shortcut," Quarry said. "It will save us time and probably prevent us from running into the "others"." Just then, Donny suddenly stopped moving, causing Samantha to plow right into him and lose her balance.

"Donny? Why'd you SSSSTTTTOOOOOOOPPPPPP?" Samantha screamed as everyone plowed into each other and tumbled down a slide made out of rock, landing in a gigantic heap at the bottom near a weird, bubbling lake.

"Shortcut? In what mutated imagination could that be considered a…?" Mikey began to ask, but then Quarry, Razorfist and Stonebiter appeared, climbing easily down the slide.

"Sorry. We forgot that you could not scale rock," Quarry apologized.

"Tell that to my bruised shoulder, pal," Olivia said, rubbing her injury.

"Let's try and avoid that mistake in the future, OK?" Raph suggested.

"Let's hope there are no more of those slides in the future," Sam muttered. Just then, a foul stench smacked her in the nostrils.

"Good Lord!" Olivia screeched, burying her nose in the battle suit that Sam had loaned her.

"Whew! Who cut the cheese?" Mikey asked, fanning the air in front of his face.

"You're smelling a sulfur pool, guys," Don informed them.

"Coming from a turtle who grew up in the sewers, trust me when I say this place stinks!" Mikey shouted.

"We must keep moving," Quarry advised them. "The "others" wander down here. This is their territory." Everyone began to cross the sulfur pool using the rocks that were on the surface. Finally, after crossing it, they climbed through a cliff. Quarry and his friends could easily scale the rocks, but the six friends had to take the long way across a narrow ledge. Leo went first and almost lost his footing. Sam's heart was pounding in her throat the entire time.

"Leo! You OK?" Don shouted.

"Whoa! That was a little **too** close for comfort! Watch your footing guys!" he cautioned, pressing closer to the wall. Everyone squeezed against the wall and managed to cross to a wider ledge without incident.

"By the way, don't **ever** scare me like that again, Leonardo!" Sam warned.

"I'm not planning to, Samantha," he reassured her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "One close call was more than enough. Believe me."

"This is it!" Quarry declared. Sam and Olivia stared down and saw a huge, swirling whirlpool beneath the cliff. Razorfist jumped off first, followed by Quarry and Stonebiter.

"Following monsters off a cliff isn't exactly the smartest thing we've ever done," Leo said before jumping off after the monsters. Don went next, followed by Sam, Olivia and Raph. Mikey went last. Samantha felt the water pulling her along and dropped down a waterfall. When she surfaced, she coughed and was gently hauled out of the water by Don, hair soaking wet. Olivia looked as drenched as she did, sitting close to Raph.

"Oh no! Mikey!" Sam shouted, as the goofball turtle was being swept towards a line of jagged crystals. Stonebiter quickly leaned over and seized Mikey's head in his mouth, drawing him out of the water and onto dry land.

"Let go of his head, Stonebiter," Quarry said gently. Stonebiter did as he was told. Mikey rubbed his head.

"Are you OK, Mikey?" Olivia asked in concern. Mikey didn't answer. Instead, he glared up at Stonebiter.

"Do that again, and I'll give you a **real** taste of the Turtles, dude!" Mikey warned.

"He's OK," Sam and Don said at the same time, smiling.

"How far away from the crystals are we?" Leo inquired.

"They're here in the catacombs," Quarry answered, walking ahead. "But from this point on, we must keep very quiet."

"Consider it done," Samantha whispered as she, her best friend, and her four mutant friends followed the three monsters into a lit passageway.

"Hey, Mikey! Recognize these carvings?" Don asked, pointing the lit crystals at some of the strange symbols etched into the stones.

"Whoa! Just like the carvings in our lair!" Mikey breathed.

"Yeah. Same interior decorator," Raph commented.

"But something about them is giving me the creeps," Sam said, shivering slightly.

"I'm with you on that, girl," Olivia agreed, drawing closer to the ninja princess. "They're giving me some **seriously** bad vibes!"

"Good! This crystal will do! We needn't travel any deeper into this evil place!" Quarry said, beginning to remove a crystal from a slot in the wall.

"Guys! Guys! Guys! We've got monsters! Right behind me!" Mikey shouted, sprinting right past everyone and further down the passageway.

"Everyone! Let's get to cover!" Leo ordered as he and the others began sprinting after Mikey.

"But that way leads to…!" Quarry began to protest.

"No choice! We've gotta move!" Leo shouted back. But they hadn't gone very far before a huge, grey door blocked their way. The three monsters used their abilities on it, but didn't even make a dent.

"Stand back!" Don commanded, placing the crystal in a slot by the door. Nothing happened. "C'mon! C'mon! Never mind!"

"Battle ready, boys!" Leo commanded, whipping out his katana swords.

"Hey!" Olivia and Samantha shouted.

"And _girls_," Leo added, smiling.

"Much better," Sam replied, whipping out her sword while Olivia got out the kusarigama.

"Ya know, I wonder…" Don mused before turning the crystal the opposite way. It lit up and the door slid open.

"Hey! It worked!" Don shouted from the open door. Just then, a whirring sound filled the air and Sam whipped around to see a crystal-like bolas flying through the air towards Don.

"What the shell is that?" Sam asked. Whatever it was, it surrounded Donatello. There was a flash of bright light and then, he was gone.

"DONATELLO!" Samantha screamed, beginning to run to where her boyfriend had vanished. Leo quickly grabbed her and held her tightly.

"LET GO OF ME, LEO!" she yelled, trying desperately to break free.

"Samantha! You can't go near there! Whatever's there might grab you too!" Leo grunted as he tightened his grip on her.

"But, Leo! Donatello!" Samantha pleaded, turning to face him. Her face was streaked with tears. He hated seeing her so sad. Leo pulled her into his arms and held her close.

"We can't just leave him!" Sam reasoned, her hands grasping Leo's shoulders, her head resting against his plastron. He put a hand under her chin and tilted her head up so that they were looking into each other's eyes.

"We won't! We're gonna get him back, Samantha," Leo reassured her, stroking her hair with his other hand. "Don't worry, Princess. We're not leaving this place without Donatello! I promise!"

"Donny!" Raph shouted, hoping that Don would answer. But there was nothing but silence from the spot where Don had vanished.

"He's gone," Mikey breathed before everyone whipped around at the sound of the approaching growls. Breaking away from Leo, she saw the monsters coming towards them.

"And in a couple of minutes, we'll be goners too!" Mikey said gravely as the five, advanced-mutated monsters came closer.

"And here it ends!" Quarry said gravely. _No! _Samantha thought to herself as she gripped her sword tighter. _Even if I have to slice through every one of these monsters myself, I'm not leaving these catacombs until I've got the love of my life back by my side again! And if these punks wanna stop me, then they're gonna have to kill me!_

**Me: *walks in badly bruised and on crutches with a cast on right leg* Hey guys!**

**Leo: Oh my gosh! _Mikey_ did this to you?**

**Raph: Geez. And I thought _I_ could beat the shell outta somebody!  
**

**Don: Not helping Raph! Will you be OK?  
**

**Me: I think so. But I feel really weak. *falls to the ground in a dead faint*  
**

**Leo: Livangel16! Oh my God! Where's Mikey? I swear I'm gonna...!  
**

**Raph: Chill out, Fearless! It ain't like she's yer girlfriend or something!  
**

**Leo: Chill out? Raph! Do you know how badly she's injured? She just fainted right in front of you, and you don't seem to care. What am I saying? That's so typical of you!  
**

**Raph: Typical of...? Ya saying I ain't got any feelings, Mr. Leader?  
**

**Leo: If the shoe fits!  
**

**Raph: Dat's it! It's go time! *leaps onto Leo and they begin fighting*  
**

**Don: Good grief! *walks over to me and picks me up bridal style* Let's go get you sorted out, Livangel16. *walks to lab and places me on table*  
**

**Me: Wha...what happened?  
**

**Don: You fainted. Now, lemme go and get some equipment.  
**

**Me: Thanks, Donny. I don't know how to thank you.  
**

**Don: Well, I know the writer and everything, but could you speed things up a little between me and Samantha?  
**

**Me: Oooo. Looks like _somebody's_ getting a little impatient and wants some action, eh Donny boy?  
**

**Don: *turns crimson red* Shut up! *goes to get medical equipment*  
**

**Mikey: You owe me for getting him to ask you to write that scene.  
**

**Me: That I do, my little conspirator. LEO! HELP ME! MIKEY'S TRYING TO HURT ME AGAIN!  
**

**Leo: MICHELANGELO! *takes out his katana swords*  
**

**Mikey: Aw, shell! *runs away with Leo chasing madly after him* I HATE YOU, LIVANGEL16!  
**

**Me: *chuckles* Love ya too, Mikey! And don't worry! Olivia will forgive me! I'm just not sure if you will! *reaches for a can of soda and drinks* Man! I love it when I win!  
**

**So, reviews are what feed my creativity, my readers, so use that little button at the bottom of the screen and review, review, review! I'll have the next chapter up sooner than this one! So, like I said, reviews please, starting...now! Happy reading!  
**

**-Livangel16  
**


	33. Chapter 33

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**So, shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers: IceColdFever, grapejuice101, flamedragon242, honkytonk-babe3, pokemonjkl, WolfAssassin369, ninja-warrior101, Drusilla52 and RAHELA. You guys are amazing, and I hope to keep seeing reviews from you! And to all those following this story and adding it to all the things that matter to us writers, many thanks to you! So, I'm on a TMNT high today because my second-most favorite chapter is coming up soon, and I wanna get to it fast. So, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**_  
_

Chapter Thirty-Three

"Donny! Donny!" Raph shouted, racing towards the spot where his brother had vanished.

"Raph! Get away from there!" Leo yelled.

"Look out!" Olivia screamed as another crystal bolas came flying through the air towards Raphael. Thankfully, he managed to duck down and out of the way as the crystal menace whizzed through the air and hit a mutated, spider-like creature that was about to jump on them. There was a blinding flash of light, and it disappeared just like Donatello had.

"'Liv, behind you!" Sam shouted as Olivia turned and saw the stone-like creature heading towards her. The chain of her kusarigama wrapped around the creature's claw, and Olivia pulled hard, sending the creature stumbling forward. But it somehow managed to stay on its feet and yanked hard on the chain, pulling Olivia towards it. She was flying in the air when another crystal bolas came soaring through the air, missing the creature and wrapping around her best friend. Another flash of light, and Olivia was gone, the kusarigama on the ground.

"OLIVIA!" Samantha and Mikey screamed.

"Razorfist!" Leo shouted as the crab-like mutant monster disappeared along with the adversary he was fighting.

"Leo! What the shell's going on?" Mikey demanded.

"More importantly: how the shell do we stop it?" Raph countered.

Samantha's anger at the loss of both her best friend and her boyfriend became too much. Suddenly, she felt something wash over her, and looked down. The ground seemed further from her. She suddenly realized that she was levitating! She chanced a glance at her Amulet and found that it was glowing again, but when she looked at her hands, they were normal. And so was her vision. Why wasn't the _tengu _trying to possess her?

"Samantha! What are you doing?" Leo shouted, looking shocked and a little amazed at what was going on. Suddenly, a voice in her mind said, _Call on the stones of the earth to aid you._

"**This**, Leonardo!" she replied. "Stones of the earth, heed my command!" There was a rumbling sound and some of the stalagmites and stalactites suddenly broke from their places in the cavern and hovered in the air. Directing her right arm towards the "others", the large chunks of rock went flying towards them, beating them back.

"Whoa!" Raph breathed.

"Outta sight!" Mikey seconded.

"Look out!" Leo shouted up to her. She flipped in the air and managed to dodge another crystal bolas that this time wrapped around Stonebiter, causing him to disappear.

"Stonebiter! No!" Raph shouted.

"Alright, you ugly troll! Show me what ya got!" Mikey challenged to the huge, mutated crab-like monster. It reared on its legs and roared.

"OK. I'm impressed," Mikey commented as he, Leo, Quarry and Raph backed towards the doorway. Samantha directed more stones at the creatures, but they were getting more adept at dodging them. Suddenly, Samantha felt something strike her hard in the side and she plummeted towards the cavern floor. Leo quickly jumped forward, arms outstretched, and caught her before she hit the ground.

"You OK, Samantha?" Leo asked.

"I…I think so," Sam replied, sliding out of his arms and backing towards Raph and Mikey. Her side ached a lot, but she fought the pain as the remaining two monster advanced on them.

"C'mon! Whatever's through this door can't be worse than this!" Leo told the others.

"I hope those don't become famous last words, Leo!" Mikey answered grimly as he, Raph, Sam and Quarry ran down further into the doorway. Sam turned and saw Leo twirling a rope with a hook on it. He flung it and was pulling something back, but Samantha couldn't see what.

"Hurry Leo!" Mikey yelled. Snatching the key crystal from the slot, Leo managed to leap inside just as the doors closed. The hook and whatever its cargo was were gone. The monsters pounded and pounded on it to no avail. Sam breathed a sigh of relief.

"There's a light up ahead," Raph informed them as they began walking in that direction.

"I hope it's daylight," Mikey said before gulping hard.

"So, care to explain what happened back there?" Leo inquired, looking at Samantha, who was holding her throbbing side.

"I…I don't really know how, Leo," Sam confessed. "I was so angry about losing Olivia and Don that something just… came over me. The next I knew, I was levitating in the air and a voice told me to call on the stones of the earth. I did and then, I just directed them at the monsters. I…I think I somehow tapped into the _tengu's_ power over the four elements!"

"But if that's true, then why didn't it try to possess you?"

"Again, I don't know. Maybe it might have something to do with why my head's been constantly hurting when I'm around the crystals." Just then, they came out of the tunnel and were on the edge of a cliff which sat on the end of a lake of lava. But it was what was on the other side of the fiery lake that drew everyone's attention. It was a large, stone city with a tall obelisk standing in the midst of it. Surrounded by an eerie fog, it looked really creepy. But if that was where her boyfriend and her best friend were, then it could be Dracula's castle or a haunted graveyard and Samantha would still go in it to get her loved ones back.

"We shouldn't be here!" Quarry gasped, backing away in horror. "This…this is an acropolis! A city of the dead!"

"OK. If there's one thing that freaks me out more than monster movies, it's a city of the dead!" Mikey squeaked.

"Well, it's time to face your fear, Mikey. Because **that's** where we're going!" Samantha declared, clenching her fist and staring at the acropolis.

"WHAT? Sammy, are you off your shell?" Mikey demanded.

"First of all, Mikey, she doesn't have a shell," Leo said. "Second of all, we're not leaving! Whatever's haunting this place made the mistake of snatching two of ours!"

"And we'll level this whole city just to get them back!" Raph growled before slicing off a piece of the cliff with a sai.

"I'll bring it straight down into the lava if need be!" Samantha said through gritted teeth.

"But guys…" Mikey began, but Sam seized him by the shoulders and shook him hard.

"Get your head outta the sand, Mikey!" Sam shouted. "Your girlfriend, who's also my best friend, is in there along with my boyfriend, who's also your brother! This is no time to chicken out!"

"I know, Sammy. It's just…I'm scared," Mikey whimpered.

"So are the rest of us, Mikester," Samantha replied in a gentler tone. "Look. I don't mean to be going Rambo on you, but Donatello needs us, Mikey. And so does Olivia."

"Hey guys! I found a way down there!" Leo said, popping his head from the other side of the cliff.

"Don't you always?" Mikey and Sam asked at the same time, causing the two friends to smile before following Leo to a small craft that was hanging from a steel cable. It looked kind of rickety.

"Uh…maybe we should find a different ride," Raph suggested. He didn't like the looks of this old bucket, and Samantha couldn't help but agree with him.

"What are you talking about? It's fine," Leo replied, setting a foot on the hatch. It creaked and buckled, scraping against the ground. Leo jumped back a little.

"You were saying?" Samantha said pointedly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"OK. Maybe not so fine," Leo corrected. "But see? Look." He crossed onto the hatch and stood there, the door buckling under his weight.

"Leo, don't!" Raph hissed.

"I thought almost falling off a cliff today was enough of a death-defying act for you," Samantha reminded him pointedly.

"It'll hold us," Leo reassured them. "C'mon, Samantha. There's nothing to worry about. Trust me," he said to her, holding out his hand. She hesitated, but then walked towards the craft and gingerly took his hand. Flinching at the buckling of the metal hatch underneath her, she was glad when she was inside the craft with Leo.

"That wasn't so bad," she admitted.

"See? I told you so," he chuckled.

"I hate it when people say that," Sam muttered under her breath.

"There's no way I'm gettin' in that thing!" Mikey protested.

"Hey, Leo! Check this out!" Samantha said from the control board of the craft. He came and stood beside her, studying it.

"It looks like our crystal will power it," Leo said. Just then, a loud roar filled the air. Leo and Sam whipped around to see the two monsters from the cavern coming around the side of the cliff.

"How'd **they** get in here?" Samantha asked in horror.

"I don't know," Leo replied. "But let's not stick around to find out!"

"What are ya waiting for?" Raph demanded as he, Quarry and Mikey dashed into the craft.

"Go, go, go!" Mikey yelled. Leo slammed the crystal into the empty slot on the control board, and the craft powered up. The hatch closed and it slid smoothly along the wire. Just then, two, large thumps shook the craft, sending everyone crashing to the floor.

"They're tearing the craft apart!" Samantha yelled, dodging one of the creature's claws. Pieces of the roof began raining down on them. Suddenly, the banging stopped.

"Whew! That's a relief!" Mikey breathed. Just then, the craft began dropping at an alarmingly fast rate.

"The rope's snapped! What do we do?" Samantha screamed.

"Everybody! Jump!" Leo ordered. Just then, they managed to dodge a huge stalagmite that shot through the floor, ripping the craft into pieces. Freefalling towards the ground, Samantha took out her wakizashi and landed like a warrior on her feet. The others followed suit, weapons unsheathed and ready for anything. Quarry landed near a column, which crumbled and fell on top of the monster.

"No! Quarry!" Leo shouted. Samantha felt the same familiar sensation flooding over her like back in the cavern. _You have the power within you, Samantha Bushido, _the same voice whispered. _It does not only depend on your anger. Command the stones to part._

"Stones of the earth, part!" she commanded, parting her hands to the sides. The chunks of the column began moving out of the way, but she hadn't even cleared away a fifth of it before she began feeling weak and stumbled backwards, falling into Leo's waiting arms.

"You OK, Princess?" Raph asked.

"I guess using these powers drains me of my energy," she moaned, pushing herself up.

"Can you walk?" Leo questioned in concern.

"I think so," she replied. Just then, the four whipped around and saw green acid melting the rock. Quarry appeared and melted some more of it before leaping out and dusting himself off. Everyone stared in confusion and amazement at the genetically-engineered creature.

"We are designed to handle such adversities," Quarry responded simply, as if the answer was plain to everybody. Walking along a path, Samantha gazed around and saw the same symbols.

"Check it out," Samantha whispered.

"Those same symbols again," Leo observed. "Just like back at our place."

"And by the looks of it, dis city has been down here a long time," Raph added.

"Creepy!" Mikey sang in a scared voice.

"Hey guys! I found us some transportation!" Leo said, a note of pride in his voice.

"Of course!" Mikey groaned. Samantha simply rolled her eyes as Leo plugged the crystal into each craft before they glided through the deserted streets of the city. Mikey and Quarry shared a craft since there were only four of them.

"Whoever built this place, they're definitely the same people who built our lair," Leo said.

"Whatever!" Raph growled in his usual voice. "Let's just focus on finding Donny and Olivia! We can go sightseeing later!" Just then, Samantha got the eerie shiver down her back that usually meant someone was watching her.

"Hold up!" Leo whispered. "I saw something!" He turned his craft and zoomed down into a dark cavern of some kind.

"Leo! Stop!" Samantha hissed, piloting her craft over to where he'd disappeared.

"Yo, Leo! Sam! Wait up!" Mikey shouted as he, Raph and Quarry hurried over there on their crafts.

"I'm getting a really bad feeling about this, guys," Samantha whispered, shivering as she dismounted. Mikey, Raph and Quarry did the same.

"Leo?" Mikey called.

"Dat's it! I'm going in!" Raph shouted. Just then, a blinding flash of light came and Samantha's heart sank.

"Leo!" Raph shouted as they all rushed in and saw his abandoned craft lying on the ground, with their leader nowhere in sight. "Leo! Leo!"

"Calling out like that is probably not the best idea!" Mikey said, putting a consoling hand on Raph's shoulder. "He's gone. Just like the others."

"That's it! Whoever's doing this just crossed another major line with me!" Samantha growled. "When I find out who's behind this, I'm gonna…!"

"Easy, Princess," Raph replied, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We'll find out who's doing this. And we'll find the others, too." Just then, they walked back outside and saw the three crafts floating there. Quarry was nowhere in sight.

"Quarry? Quarry?" Mikey called. Just then, a noise from behind them startled the three ninjas, who drew out their weapons.

"Wait! It's just me!" Quarry exclaimed, holding up his hands.

"What are ya doing lurking around like dat?" Raph demanded furiously.

"You…you left me alone!" Quarry whimpered.

"Man! Mutate some backbone, would ya?" Mikey demanded, sounding frustrated.

"There it is!" Quarry shouted in fear. Mikey screamed like a girl as Raph and Sam looked and saw the mysterious, cloaked figure standing at the end of the street, the fog swirling around it. Then, it walked into the fog and vanished.

"Dat thing's **mine**!" Raph growled, leaping back onto his craft and revving the engine.

"Only if you find it first, Raphael!" Samantha challenged, leaping onto her own craft. The two of them zoomed off after the thing, but Raphael somehow managed to get ahead of her, and a blinding flash of light caused her to tumble from her craft and onto the ground. She looked up and saw Raph's craft abandoned, with no sign of the hotheaded turtle in sight. Growling, Samantha leapt to her feet and drew out her wakizashi.

"Alright, whatever-you-are! You've toyed with me and my friends long enough!" Samantha shouted into the fog surrounding her. "Show yourself, you coward!" A faint laugh reached her ears as Samantha quickly dove out of the way of another flying crystal bolas. Panting slightly, she failed to notice the figure sneaking up behind her until she felt a damp cloth cover her nose and mouth. Struggling hard, she kicked and tried to scream, but whatever the substance in the cloth was overwhelmed her, and she blacked out.

* * *

_Mikey's POV_

"Raph? Raphael? Sammy? Samantha?" I called, but just then a flash of light answered my calling.

"Oh, man. We'd better go look for them," I said. I turned and screamed when I didn't see Quarry, but then groaned and reached into the dark corner and dragged him out. We zoomed down the same street Raph had and saw his craft lying abandoned in the middle of the street.

"Not good! Raph's gone too!" I said, inspecting the craft. Just then, I heard a muffled scream not far down the street. It sounded like a girl. _A girl?_

"Sammy!" I shouted, running towards the noise, but all I saw was Samantha's abandoned craft and the young ninja princess was nowhere in sight.

"Sammy's vanished just like everyone else!" I said, walking back towards Raph's craft and when I looked up, Quarry was looking at me. I screamed.

"I warned you! I warned you all!" Quarry panicked. "Evil dwells in this dead city! We'll never get out alive!" Just then, I couldn't take it anymore. I slapped the mutant monster hard across the face.

"Look! If there's gonna be any hysterics around here, **I'll** have 'em!" I told the monster bluntly. Then, looking up on a rooftop, I saw the figure and backed away. "Like right now! Because…I see it!" Quarry looked up too, and I narrowed my eyes at the thing. Whatever it was, ghost or living, it had taken my brother, my friends, and the girl I was falling hard for. And messing in my life was a **big** mistake. Leaping back on my craft, I zoomed forward, then remembered Quarry and went back for him. Then, once he was on, I zoomed towards the figure. Quarry was pleading with me to stop and wait, but all I was focused on was kicking the shell outta this thing for messing with a ninja turtle!

* * *

Samantha's eyes fluttered open, and she sat up, moaning and clutching her head. The sickening sweetness of whatever odor had knocked her out still lingered on her.

"Man! Where am I?" she moaned.

"Hey guys! She's awake!" shouted a familiar voice. Samantha turned and saw Leo standing in the doorway of the room.

"Leonardo! You're OK!" she shouted, running at him and flinging herself into his arms.

"Hey! What about us?" demanded a second voice playfully.

"Yeah! How come** Leo** gets all da love?" inquired a third voice, chuckling. Samantha looked over Leo's shoulder and saw Don and Raph standing close by.

"Guys!" she yelled happily, hugging Raph, who grunted and returned it loosely. Then, she turned to Don. Her smile seemed to take up her entire face as she flung herself into her boyfriend's arms with a huge amount of force.

"Hey! Easy there, Sam!" he chuckled, hugging her back.

"I thought I'd never see you again!" she whispered, looking into his eyes.

"I'm like an old, bad penny," Don replied, cupping her face with his hand. "I **always** come back." Then, he captured her lips in a deep, passionate kiss that had Samantha's bones melting into paste.

"Oh brother!" Raph groaned.

"Get a room, you two!" Leo teased.

"What's going on?" inquired a high-pitched voice. Samantha broke away from Don and saw Olivia standing at another entrance.

"'Livvy!" Sam shouted, rushing towards her.

"Sammy!" Olivia yelled happily, arms outstretched.

"Girlfriend!" they both shouted as they squeezed each other in a tight hug.

"Man! Girls are weird," Raph commented, scratching his bald head.

"Agreed," Leo and Don answered.

"So, where's Mikey?" Olivia asked. "He wasn't with you."

"Yeah," Sam answered. "But the last thing I remember was chasing after that phantom figure. The next I know, I'm here. By the way, where is that creep?"

"He's around here somewhere, but he's not who you think he is," Olivia told her, although her best friend didn't sound so sure of that herself. Just then, Sam and the others heard a commotion coming from the room on their left. Dashing into it, Samantha saw the genetically-engineered monsters, including Quarry, Stonebiter and Razorfist frozen in what looked like some state of suspended animation (thankfully, she paid attention during biology class).

"OK, Baldy!" Mikey demanded, holding the figure by the cloak. "Where are my brothers and my friends?"

"Mikey!" Olivia shouted. Mikey turned and saw them all standing nearby, unharmed.

"About time you showed up," Leo said. "We've been waiting for you."

"Huh?" Mikey asked, looking beyond confused. Just then, the figure got up and Samantha nearly gasped aloud at the sight of his blond hair, which had receded to the sides of his head, his pale skin and his red eyes. The man from her dream. She immediately backed away straight into Raphael, who growled and gave her a little shove forward.

"All will be explained," the phantom figure said. "Follow me." Everyone followed the mysterious-looking man into another chamber.

"We've had this guy figured all wrong," Leo said.

"Yeah. He saw how the Foot had mutated Quarry and the others, and he just wants to change them back," Don explained as they all took a seat around the room. Samantha was seated next to Olivia on a couple of stone chairs while the guys sat on the ledge.

"As we speak, the power of the cavern's Crystal Moon is infusing them with regenerative energy," the figure said. "Their bodies are being genetically rebuilt inside each chrysalis. In a few minutes, the last of them will be restored to their human form."

"Thank you so much for clearing that up!" Mikey exclaimed. Then, he leaned closer to Leo and whispered, "He's lying!"

"I agree," Olivia muttered to Samantha. "Something about this guy just doesn't seem right."

"Michelangelo. Olivia. You are safe, I assure you. This city was built by an ancient, peace-loving race," the figure said before touching the crystal hanging around his neck. A large, green crystal began to glow. "Of which **I** am the sole survivor." Everyone pressed close to the screen as the figure explained how his people had lived down here for thousands upon thousands of years, creating strong bonds with the Earth and how, after detecting life above ground, his race had slowly begun to die out and become extinct.

"How long has it been?" Don inquired.

"Long enough to make this a lonely existence," the figure replied, heading back towards the chamber with Quarry and the others were in crystal suspended animation. "Which is why I wish to return these people back to normal. Only then can they help me repopulate the city."

"Well…I wouldn't count on that," Leo countered. "They all have lives waiting for them on the surface. Families, friends…"

"No!" the figure declared. "They **must** stay! They **must**!"

"OK. This guy just suddenly turned from nice and helpful to weird and creepy," Sam whispered to Mikey, who nodded.

"Well, I'm sure they'll be grateful…" Leo said, but the figure interrupted him again.

"I **refuse** to let this city die!" he growled. "There's so much to pass on! They **must** stay! And so must you! **All** of you!"

"Um…I'm afraid that being all alone down here for such a long time has driven this guy slightly around the bend," Don whispered.

"Slightly? You mean **completely**," Olivia corrected.

"Well…we, umm…appreciate your offer to live here in this wondrous city of yours, but…" Leo began, but once again, the figure cut him off.

"Yes. It **is** wondrous," the figure said smoothly. "A world where even mutant turtles can freely walk the streets. No more lurking in sewers. No more hiding your faces. A city where you are finally free to be yourselves." Then, his eye fell on Samantha and Olivia. "And a world where love between yourselves and humans is not looked down upon and despised."

"As enticing as that sounds…" Don started to say, but Raph pushed his way to the front.

"Lemme put it **dis** way," Raph began.

"Oh no!" Samantha groaned.

"This is gonna end badly, isn't it?" Olivia said.

"There's **no way** we're relocating to this creepoid community! Understand?" Raph shouted. "Now, drop it!" Samantha saw the anger on the figure's face and knew that something bad was about to go down.

"C'mon. Let's go release the others," Don instructed.

"Bye-bye," Mikey waved as they headed for the chamber where Quarry and the others were. Just then, the doors slammed shut, trapping them inside. Everyone whirled around and Samantha saw the figure's crystal glowing. Her head immediately began hurting again.

"Trust me. You do **not** want to do this," Leo warned.

"No! Heed my offer, for my bond with the Earth is strong!" the figure challenged. Just then, a huge pile of Earth rose up and tried to smash into them. Fortunately, they were able to dodge it by leaping off of a wall. Just then, Sam looked and saw Olivia and Don being held by tendrils. Leo was tripped up and held fast against the wall and Raph had been seized and had his hands and feet sealed to the ground. She and Mikey were the only ones left.

"You're not only one with a bond with the Earth, pal!" Samantha growled before pointing her hand at the ground and allowing her powers to break off several, large chunks, directing them at the figure. He managed to dodge them, but he was obviously unsettled by the fact that someone else had the same powers as he did. Suddenly, he smirked and the crystal around his neck began glowing brighter. Sam screamed as her head felt like it was splitting and fell to her knees.

"Sam! What're you doing to her?" Don yelled, trying to break free.

"The power of the creature within her amulet and the crystals are made of the same energy," the figure explained. "When she came in contact with the crystals, it enabled her to tap into the creature's powers. But, because they are both made up of the same energy, they are constantly fighting one another. Unfortunately for your friend, this fight is happening inside her body!"

"Mikey! Do something!" Olivia cried, struggling to break free. Mikey went in for the attack, but thanks to his powers, some crystal-tipped spears came to life and knocked Mikey aside. Turning around, they came after the turtle.

"You guys are a lot of help!" he noted sarcastically.

"Just get his amulet, Mikey!" Don shouted. "That's how he's controlling everything!"

"Before or after he slices me with those things?" Mikey asked in panic.

"Preferably before," Leo answered as Mikey kicked off of Raph's shell and sent the spears flying towards the figure. One of them sliced through the cord of his necklace, sending the crystal falling to the floor. The spears stopped moving and dropped to the ground. Mikey and the figure both spied the crystal and dove for it, crashing through the stone wall into the adjoining chamber. Mikey looked up and saw the figure with the crystal in his hand. It was then that he spied the crystal bolas beside him and picked it up, twirling it expertly.

"Time to put you on ice!" Mikey declared before throwing the crystal bolas at the figure. It wrapped around him, and he disappeared into one of the crystal suspension animation chambers. Mikey returned and sliced through the earth bonds that'd trapped his brothers and Olivia.

"Samantha!" Olivia yelled, rushing over to her friend. The Turtles followed close behind as Olivia flung herself beside her friend, who was lying on the ground, not moving. Don quickly took her wrist in his hand.

"She's got a pulse," Don told everyone. Just then, Samantha groaned and tried to sit up, but Don picked her up bridal style, holding her close to him. "Don't worry, Samantha. I've got you."

"Man! I've got the king of all headaches!" Samantha groaned. Then, she looked at Mikey and smiled. "But that doesn't mean I didn't see the Mikester kick some serious shell! Nicely done!"

"Yeah, Mikey," Leo added. "You really stepped up." Olivia threw herself into his arms and kissed him on the cheek.

"My hero! I don't know how to thank you!" she chirped. Mikey's face turned a deep red as he blushed and rubbed his head nervously.

"Oh boy! I'm gonna be on the phone for **hours** with this girl after this!" Samantha muttered to Don, who snickered while Leo and Raph simply smirked. Then, they headed into the adjoining chamber and looked at the now suspended figure of their insane host.

"I mean, the guy wasn't evil. Just lonely. And who can blame him?" Mikey said, gazing at the frozen man.

"OK. Let's find something heavy and crack dese puppies open!" Raph declared.

"Actually, no blunt force required," Don countered, his hand on the crystal dial. "I believe this crystal is the release." He turned it clockwise and a cloud of smoke rose up in front of the blue-skinned creature. The crystal chrysalis began to crack and a new figure rose up with blue hair and brown eyes.

"Quarry?" Leo prodded.

"You're a…_girl?_" Mikey said as all four brother smacked a hand over their eyes. Sam and Olivia smirked.

"You'd better leave this to us, boys," Olivia said as Samantha spied a piece of cloth and a crystal-tipped spear nearby.

"Ah! Bless them! They're such gentlemen! Or…gentleturtles, I should say," Sam chuckled as she and her best friend set about their task to clothing the newly-human Quarry.

"C'mon, turtles. Let's free the others," Don told them.

* * *

After freeing the others from their crystal chrysalises, everyone was heading out of the city.

"Well, that's all of them," Don said.

"Thank God," Olivia breathed. "Now, maybe we can finally…"

"No!" someone screamed. The Turtles, Samantha and Olivia rushed to the front of the line and parted the crowd to see a man who was human on the bottom half, but had reverted to a monster on the top half in the shadows outside the cavern. The six friends rushed forward and dragged him back inside. The moment he was within the cavern again, he changed back.

"He…he reverted back just as he stepped out of the cavern!" Quarry stammered. "Why?" Don and Samantha locked eyes for a moment and both of them nodded before leading everyone to a ledge.

"There! I think that's the cause!" Don shouted, pointing to the large, Crystal Moon that hovered above the city. "Remember? He said it provides regenerative energy!"

"Stray too far from it, and it seems the effects reverse themselves," Samantha continued.

"Then, we can't leave his city?" Quarry asked in disbelief. "I don't believe it! He got what he wanted after all."

"Don't worry," Leo told them. "We'll figure this all out. Don's pretty good…"

"No," Quarry interrupted him firmly. "We can't let you stay. Who knows how long it will take?" The others nodded their heads in agreement.

"But… just taking off is **not** our style," Mikey protested.

"Mikey's right. We **never** run out on our friends," Samantha seconded.

"Please. You have your own lives to get back to," Quarry pleaded.

"But so do **you**!" Olivia countered fiercely. "And we can't let you stay down here while your families and friends spend another night worrying about where you are!"

"Believe me, Olivia: if the solution is here, we'll find it!" Quarry replied firmly, stroking the young girl's hair.

"I'll keep studying the crystals," Don told Quarry. "We can beat this!"

"And then we'll be back!" Leo informed her firmly.

"Dat's a promise!" Raph added seriously.

"Bet on it!" Samantha seconded.

"Thank you," Quarry replied before the six friends left, all of them saddened by the fact that they'd come so close and yet were still so far from a solution for their friends.

* * *

The six were walking through the sewers, their minds centered on their friends in the underground city when Samantha heard the loud splashing of numerous feet in the water.

"Someone's coming!" she hissed to the others, pulling Olivia with her as they hid out of sight. They watched as a squadron of Foot ninjas passed by them with flashlights.

"Foot ninjas?" Leo observed, peering out.

"What are **dey** doing down here?" Raph whispered.

"So **those** are the Foot?" Olivia inquired. Don nodded. "They don't look dangerous."

"Looks can be deceiving, kid," Raph countered. Just then, there was a muffled scream from Mikey and everyone whipped around to see Master Splinter standing there.

"What? I'm the only screamer? You have to cover just **my** mouth?" Mikey inquired pointedly.

"Master Splinter. What is going on?" Leonardo asked.

"I do not know," Master Splinter answered strongly. "But I believe the Foot are searching the sewers for us. They are **everywhere**."

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Raph growled.

"We cannot reach the Lair undetected. We must find a new place to stay. And fast," Master Splinter told them.

"You guys can come and stay with me," Samantha offered.

"No. Shredder already knows you're in the city, Samantha. He'd come after you and Uncle Kenji. We can't put you in that kind of danger," Leo objected.

"I'm already in danger from the Amulet, Leonardo," Samantha countered. "As long as I wear it, the danger's there. Plus, he's seen me with you guys."

"He is right, Princess Bushido-san," Master Splinter ruled. "You must focus on your studies, and we will only be a distraction to you."

"But I can't just abandon you guys," Samantha protested. "We're family."

"Don't worry, Sammy!" Mikey said. "I know just the place!"

* * *

In what seemed like no time at all, Samantha found herself standing at the back door of the Second Time Around antique shop with four, mutant turtles, Master Splinter, and her best friend. Mikey knocked and the door opened to reveal the mud-masked face of the store's owner, April O'Neil.

"Hey April! Gooish mud-mask girl!" Mikey commented as he went inside.

"Mind if we bunk upstairs in your apartment for a while?" Leo asked.

"Hey! What's there ta eat?" Raph asked.

"You've got digital cable, right?" Don inquired. Just then, something broke inside the store.

"Oops! Sorry!" Mikey apologized.

"Ms. O'Neil. Your hospitality is very much appreciated," Master Splinter said gratefully as he went inside. Samantha and Olivia just stood outside the door, not knowing whether or not they should walk into the woman's store.

"Well, come on in, girls," April said. "I suppose you two are staying as well?"

"Oh no. We're just seeing that they're comfortable," Samantha said. "I'm Samantha Bushido, and this is my friend, Olivia Fernandez."

"My grandparents love your store, Ms. O'Neil," Olivia gushed. April smiled. She was a redhead with green eyes and was slim as well. At least Don hadn't been lying to her when he'd called April pretty. Combine that with the fact that she used to work for the genius scientist, Baxter Stockman and had helped the Turtles on two different occasions, and Sam was lucky she wasn't turning pea-green with envy.

"Thanks. And you two can call me April," April told them. "Ms. O'Neil makes me feel so…old." Then, she looked directly at Samantha. "So, **you're** the famous Samantha I've been hearing so much about. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise, April. I've heard a lot about you, too. Good things, I assure you."

"Alright. So, I've also heard from a very reliable source that you and a certain turtle are dating?"

"It was Mikey, wasn't it? I knew it!" Samantha growled. "Michelangelo, I'm gonna kick your shell when I get up there!"

"Easy, Samantha. Don't strangle the poor guy. I figured it out from all the teasing that Don was getting from Mikey. So, do you like him?"

"April…I **love** him."

"Aww!" Leo, Raph and Mikey said from the top of the stairs.

"Get back upstairs before I come up there and kick **all** of your shells to Pluto!" Samantha shouted. There was a scurry of running and then a door slammed closed.

"Wow. You're good," April observed, smiling. "Can I count on you being around here more often?" Samantha smiled back. There was just something about April that Sam immediately liked. She couldn't put her finger on it yet, but it didn't matter much. She felt safe with April around and wanted to get to know her better. She felt like this was the start of an amazing friendship.

"I wouldn't pass up that opportunity for the world, April," she answered.

**Mikey: Did I just read what I think I read?**

**Don: You mean the part where we're practically homeless because the Foot are searching for us?  
**

**Mikey: No way, Einstein! I'm talking about the part where Olivia _kissed_ me! *begins doing the Moonwalk*Oh yeah! Oh yeah! *starts singing: You've been hit by... you've been struck by a smooth criminal!*  
**

**Me: Hey there, MJ! Slow down! The best is yet to come!  
**

**Raph: Ya mean, we get ta go home early?  
**

**Me: No. I mean that in the next chapter, Samantha gets to play Cupid!  
**

**Leo: Oh hell no! You are not going to mess around in my love life, Livangel16!  
**

**Me: Leo, honey, _I'm_ the writer, remember? I can do anything I want. As long as it's legal.  
**

**Leo: C'mon! Don't do this!  
**

**Me: Sorry! My story; my rules!  
**

**Don: He's just saying that! He can't _wait_ to see Makayla again!  
**

**Leo: That's the last time I trust _you_ with anything!  
**

**Raph: And what about Miss Tough-Girl Tonya?  
**

**Me: You're gonna have to work to get her, Raphie Boy!  
**

**Raph: Haven't I told a thousand times _not_ ta call me that?  
**

**Me: Yeah. But I just ignore you know. Unlike Tonya over there, who's waving at you.  
**

**Raph: She is? WHERE?  
**

**Me: Psych! *runs away*  
**

**Mikey: HA HA! She got you good, bro!  
**

**Raph: WHY YOU LITTLE...!  
**

**Mikey: *screams like a girl* Wait for me, Livangel16! *runs away with Raph chasing behind*  
**

**Me: To the Swiss Alps, Mikey! *me and Mikey run to the Swiss Alps*  
**

**Leo: And now we have to go help them.  
**

**Don: As usual! I wonder if the extradition treaty with Switzerland includes mutant turtles.  
**

**So, reviews are what feed my creativity, my readers, so use that little button at the bottom of the screen and review, review, review! I'll have the next chapter up soon! So, like I said, reviews please, starting...now! Happy reading!  
**

**-Livangel16  
**


	34. Chapter 34

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**So, shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers: IceColdFever, grapejuice101, my Guest, Wingnut 2.0, Kimmie98, pokemonjkl, WolfAssassin369, ninja-warrior101, and RAHELA. You guys are amazing, and I hope to keep seeing reviews from you! And to all those following this story and adding it to all the things that matter to us writers, many thanks to you! So, you lucky readers get a double chapter update today because I'm feeling generous! So, without further ado, enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**_  
_

Chapter Thirty-Four

Samantha walked out of the examination room set aside for their first psychology test feeling relieved that she'd finally gotten it over with. She speculated that she probably hadn't aced it, but at least she'd passed it, that was for sure. The questions were long and complex in some parts, yet short and to-the-point on others. And everything had been multiple choice. Samantha hated it because there were always two or more answers that could be right.

"Hey Sammy girl!" Olivia chirped as she came hurrying down the steps. "Boy, am I ever glad that test is over! How'd you do?"

"I think I did alright," Sam replied as the two began walking to Peplin Hall which housed a variety of restaurants and kiosks. "You?"

"So-so. Uh-oh. Trouble at 3 o'clock." Samantha looked up to see Marcus Danielson the Third heading their way. Even with the dark hood of his sweatshirt up, Sam could still see the hard look and grim face of the young man. He changed course slightly and bumped hard into Olivia. She stumbled and two of her books fell to the ground.

"Watch where you're going, jerk!" Sam shouted as she knelt down and picked up her friend's books. It was then that Marcus turned around and Samantha had to slap a hand across her mouth. Marcus had a black patch over his left eye, as well as a scar that ran from his chin and disappeared inside the caverns of his hoodie.

"You did this to me! You're gonna pay!" he hissed at Samantha and Olivia. "You **and** your green freaks!" He turned on his heel and walked away.

"Damn!" Olivia breathed. "He sounded pretty serious. Think we should tell the guys?"

"I'm gonna head over to April's and see them, so I'll tell them," Samantha replied. "But seeing them isn't gonna be enough to recover from that psychology test! I need something exciting! Something fun! Something like…!"

"A night at the club with your girls and your guy friends?" Olivia suggested, handing her a flyer.

"A club? Are you nuts? Leo would blow a gasket!" Samantha shot back. "I mean, it's a cool idea and everything, but you'll **never** get him to agree to it!"

"C'mon, girl! At least **try**! What am I gonna tell Mac and Tonya? They're expecting the guys to be there!"

" 'Liv, you know as well as I do the **big** reason that they can't come, and you **still** promised Makayla and Tonya that they'd be there?"

"I'm sorry. I kinda forgot. I just…I just really wanted Mikey to be there, so he could see me in a different environment. You know, in a dress, with makeup and jewelry. Looking like a **real **girl!"

"I understand, 'Liv. Look. I'll talk to the guys and see if Donny has any little tricks up his sleeve that could remedy the situation."

"You're the best friend a girl could ever have!" Olivia crowed, hugging Samantha tightly.

"Glad to know that I'm better than a diamond, Olivia!" Samantha chuckled. "But don't say that until you and Mikey are in each other's arms on the dance floor."

* * *

"Hey April!" Samantha greeted, smiling as she walked into the Second Time Around store. April smiled back. The young, seventeen year old was interesting to talk to. Not only was she intelligent, but she was also fun-loving, sweet and a bit argumentative, which April didn't mind (much).

"Hey, Samantha. How was school?" April inquired.

"Huge psychology test today. I'm brain-dead after answering all those questions," Sam replied.

"Trust me, Sam. I thought the same thing the first time I finished my first test in psychology, too."

"And? How'd you do?"

"98 percent."

"Nerd!"

"Takes one to know one, Samantha Bushido!"

"Darn! Ya got me there, April. Are the guys upstairs?"

"Yep. And to tell you the truth, they're kinda getting antsy. They want to go outside and stretch their legs, but Master Splinter has said no to almost everything. I guess he doesn't want to risk the Foot seeing them and tracking them back here."

"I think I might have the perfect thing for them, April." Samantha headed up the stairs and knocked on the door and said, "It's Samantha," before entering the apartment.

"Sammy!" Mikey exclaimed before jumping on her and hugging her.

"OK, Mikey! Down! It's good to see you too!" Sam chuckled, desperate to be able to breathe again.

"Sup, Princess?" Raph greeted from his place by the TV.

"Not much, Hothead," she answered. Then, she saw Master Splinter and quickly went over and bowed to him.

"Good afternoon, Master Splinter," she told him respectfully.

"Good afternoon to you as well, Princess Bushido-san," Master Splinter answered, setting aside his paper for a moment before he bowed back to the young woman. "I trust your studies are going well."

"Yes, Sensei. I hope you're well."

"As well as I can be, my child, with four, teenage boys."

"Hey, Raph! Anything good on?" she heard Don ask before she turned around and saw him hop onto the couch beside Raphael. She glanced back at Master Splinter, who was trying to hide his smile from her. He looked at her and then nodded. Samantha smiled and then crashed down on the sofa beside her boyfriend, Donatello, who hugged her and gave her a quick kiss.

"How was the test?" he asked her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Not as bad as some of the students made it out to be, but I didn't ace it," Samantha replied.

"Don't say that, Sam. You probably **did** ace it, but you doubt your abilities," Don replied firmly. "Watch. You'll get back that test and be surprised by what you got on it."

"Thanks, my turtle genius. How are you guys holding up?"

"As well as we can, Samantha," answered Leo, appearing from a room. "I was meditating when you came in."

"Really? Because I've heard from April that you guys are desperate for a little excitement and fun," Sam countered. The four brothers looked at one another, and Samantha knew she had them cornered.

"Alright. Ya got us, Princess," Raph confessed. "We're bored as shell up here. I mean, it was cool at first and everything, and we really do appreciate April taking us in and all, but now…"

"We want fresh air! Open space! A different setting than these four walls!" Mikey exclaimed, trying to sound poetic, but all he got was a groan from Don and a bark of laugh from Samantha.

"Well…I think I have something that might be of interest to you guys," she said, taking the flyer out of the pocket of her jeans. Raph quickly snatched it out of her hands before Don reached over and snatched it back. Soon, Mikey had jumped into the mix and all three were fighting for the flyer. Sam shot a look to Leo that read _Please break this up!_ to which Leo nodded, strode in and snatched the flyer right out of Don's hand. The tussle immediately ended.

"NYU Social Committee proudly presents NYU's End-of-Mid-Term Bash at The Sapphire Nightclub on Kennedy Boulevard," Leo read. "From 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., non-stop music, dancing and drinks. Prizes to be won. Ladies get in free before 11 p.m. Bring your friends to the event of the year."

"Dudes! A party at a club? Awesome!" Mikey crowed.

"Never thought I'd say dis, but I agree with Mikey," Raph seconded. "Dis sounds like it could be a lot of fun."

"I have to admit, I've always **wanted **to see how a university party operates at a nightclub," Don admitted, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"So, can we go?" Mikey asked anxiously.

"Absolutely not," Leo said firmly. His three younger brothers groaned.

"C'mon, Leo! Even **you** could use the fun!" Raph argued.

"Guys! Have you forgotten that Shredder's got every inch of the city covered with Foot Ninjas searching for us?" Leo reminded them. "Or the fact that we're giant, talking, mutant ninja turtles? We can't just walk into a club!"

"You're such a party-pooper, Leo!" Mikey complained, flopping down on the couch.

"That's too bad. Because Olivia was telling me that she told Makayla and Tonya that you guys were gonna be there," Samantha said silkily. She smirked slightly when she saw Leo's eye ridges raise at the mention of Makayla. "They were **really** forward to meeting you guys." Raph was pretending to be watching the wrestling match on TV, but his ears were straining to hear every word that Samantha was saying about Tonya.

"Nice try, Samantha," Leo told her. "But even if the Foot **weren't** searching for us, how would you expect four, mutant turtles to walk into a nightclub and not freak everybody out?" Samantha glanced at Donatello, who quickly dropped his gaze to the floor, a smile on his face.

"Donny. I know that look," Sam said, smiling.

"What look?" Mikey inquired.

"The I-have-an-invention-that-will-solve-this-problem-and-make-our-lives-better look," Samantha answered. "C'mon, my turtle genius. Spill." Don looked up and was grinning broadly from ear to ear.

"Well. What is it, Don?" Leo asked.

"Alright. Lemme go downstairs and get it," Don said, leaping to his feet and hurrying out of the apartment. In a few minutes, he was back, holding a small box in his hands, looking like an excited child on Christmas morning.

"So, what's in the box, Brainiac?" Raph questioned.

"I'm so glad you asked, Raph," Don replied proudly before opening the box to reveal four, gold chains.

"Don. They're chains that you wear around your neck," Leo told him bluntly.

"Exactly," Don confirmed, smiling.

"And **how** exactly does it solve our problem and get us to dat party?" Raph asked pointedly.

"Allow me to demonstrate," Don replied, taking up one of the chains and entering the room where Leo had been. About five minutes later, a brown-haired, chocolate-brown eyed boy appeared, his arms defined by the black shirt he was wearing along with a pair of jeans that actually fit him. His skin was a shade of warm peach. The gold chain was around his neck, and he flashed a winning smile.

"Don?" Mikey asked, jaw agape. Leo and Raph stared wide-eyed. Even Master Splinter couldn't keep the look of utter shock and admiration off of his face.

"Lord have mercy!" Sam breathed, grabbing a notebook from her bag and fanning herself with it to keep from fainting. She knew Don would look attractive as a human, but this guy was downright hot!

"I designed these chains to temporarily covert our DNA from mutant to human using electrical pulses," Don explained. "I wanted to mimic what I saw Danny Fenton go through on _Danny Phantom_. So, by using the electrical pulses that are similar those released in biochemical reactions in the brain, I stimulated samples of our DNA and watched as they turned into what our DNA would appear to be if we were human. Don't ask me exactly how it worked out, but it did. As long as the chain is around the neck, we look completely normal."

"You're a genius, Donatello!" Samantha declared, planting a loving kiss on his chiseled jaw. "By the way, I compliment your DNA on making such a fine specimen of a human."

"Thanks, babe. Now, who wants one?" Don asked, chuckling.

"I do! I do!" Mikey shouted.

"Count me in, Donny boy," Raph seconded.

"Leo?" Don prodded.

"Uh, guys? Have you forgotten something?" Leo reminded them pointedly, his head tilted towards Master Splinter.

"Oh, right," Don remembered, smacking his head. The four brothers and Samantha approached Master Splinter and knelt before him. "Sensei, may we have your permission to attend this party with Samantha and her friends?"

"Normally, I would turn down such a request," Master Splinter intoned. "Such parties are usually frivolous pursuits of drinking and lustful behavior. However, since Donatello's invention is a very interesting solution to my largest concern, and the fact that I must find out whether Kim has confessed to Bryan about the affair she is having with his twin brother, Joseph, on my stories, I will allow you to attend this party."

"YES!" Mikey and Samantha shouted, smacking hands.

"Thank you, Master Splinter," Don told his sensei. The five of them looked at each other and then bowed to the elderly rat, who bowed back, before Raph, Don, Mikey and Samantha began whooping, cheering and celebrating their good fortune.

"So you in, Fearless?" Samantha asked, smiling. "It's not gonna be as fun without you."

"Plus, _Makayla's _gonna be there," Mikey reminded him. The others snickered.

"Well…I don't…maybe we…it's…ah, what the heck? Sure. I'm in," Leo said, smiling.

"Awesome!" Mikey crowed. "Goodbye April's apartment and hello Sapphire Nightclub!"

"I'll come back and pick you guys up in the towncar at around eight, alright?" Samantha told them.

"We'll be ready," Leo replied. He actually looked excited as he took one of Don's gold chains from the box and held it up to his face. Samantha had never seen that look on his face before, but she was praying that after she implemented her plan of getting him and Makayla together, she'd be seeing that smile a lot more often.

* * *

"HOW in the world did you convince them?" Olivia demanded over the phone as Samantha arranged her hair in a simple ponytail. The curled ends were still perfect, and the deep-purple, strapless dress that she'd picked out hung perfectly. Her Amulet hung around her neck, but there wasn't much she could do about that. Taking out a pair of diamond earrings, she placed them in her ears and then reached for her new _Angel_ perfume bottle and spritzed some on.

"It took a little sweet talking, but I managed," Samantha replied.

"Even with Leo?"

"Yeah. He was a tough nut to crack, but I did it."

"Did you mention Makayla to him?"

"Yeah. Why?

"Because she's pretty psyched to meet him. I mean, when this party came up, and I mentioned talking you into coming, the next words out of her mouth were, and I quote, "Do you think she'll bring those guys she was telling us about?" She's got it bad for Leo, honey."

"Great," Sam said, but she wasn't as enthusiastic as she had been a few moments ago. Why? The obvious answer (and the one Sam wanted to deny the most) was that she still had feelings for the leader of the group. Did she regret choosing to be with Donatello? Absolutely not. Donatello was everything she could ever wish for in the perfect boyfriend. Yet, there was still a small part of her heart that was linked to Leo, and she couldn't ignore it or force it away. Perhaps it would fade with time.

"So, anyway, did you tell Mikey that I'd be there?"

"No."

"SAMMY!"

"He already knows you're coming, Olivia. Sheesh! Calm down!"

"I'm sorry. I just **really** hope he likes me!"

"Olivia Fernandez, calm down. Mikey totally likes you. It was written all over his face when he saw you for the first time. Just, be yourself and everything will out fine. Trust me."

Samantha stepped into the store and saw April's jaw drop.

"Wow, Samantha! You look incredible!" April gushed, scooping the girl into a hug. "Don's not gonna be able to keep his eyes off you!"

"Oh, c'mon April!" Samantha replied, looking down at the ground. "I highly doubt that. I mean, there are tens of thousands of girls at NYU who look like Megan Fox. Don will probably ditch me for one of them in a heartbeat."

"What are you talking about? Samantha, I know Donatello, and he's not shallow. He cares about more than looks; he wants a girl with a combination of brains, personality and beauty, but he doesn't really care much about the "beauty" aspect of it. Besides, you're a very attractive young lady and a great person both from what I've seen in the past month and from what I've heard from the guys. If you ask me, I'd said that Don's a very lucky turtle," April told her, smiling warmly.

"Really?"

"Yes. He's lucky to have you in his life." Just then, a low whistle of admiration came from the top of the stairs.

"Somebody call heaven! I think an angel is missing!" Mikey crowed as he hurried down the stairs. The goofball turtle in human form was a blond-haired, blue-eyed cutie with defined arms and a boyish air about him that was attractive. Wearing a pair of dark jeans and an orange, button-up shirt, Samantha smiled as he scooped her up into a hug.

"Mikey! That line is older than I am!" she laughed, hugging him back. "I hope you're not planning to use it on Olivia!"

"No way, dudette!" Mikey chuckled. "I've got much better lines saved for her!"

"So I get the old, cheap stuff and my best friend gets your special, newly-thought-up lines? Thanks a lot!"

"Well, I'd use them on you, but then Don would kill me for hitting on his girlfriend."

"You've got that right, Michel…" Don began to say, but when his eye fell on Samantha, he immediately stopped and stared. His breath was gone, and he felt his jaw drop to the ground at the sight of his girlfriend. Dressed in a slick black, dress shirt and blue jeans, Don looked pretty impressive himself.

"Yo, Donny!" Raph said, snapping his fingers in front of Don's face. Don quickly shook himself from the trance and hurried down the rest of the stairs. Samantha smiled as she took in Raph's jet-black hair, which was slicked down on his head and spiked slightly with gel and amber eyes. He was built, not like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but muscular enough to make Samantha's eyes rove over him, impressed. The red dress shirt was wearing with a pair of black, leather pants made him look like he could walk into a room and walk out in less than 10 minutes with about 20 girls on him.

"Not bad, Hothead," Samantha chuckled. "I think you'll satisfy Tonya's…requirements."

"I don't need ta pass any girl's requirements, Princess!" Raph shot back, leaning against the store counter. "I ain't going dere to impress Little Miss Tough-Girl! I'm going to party!"

"Whatever you say, Hothead," she responded, hiding a laugh. "Whatever you say. Now, I count three, very handsome, young men down here around me, and I **know** there should be four. Where's Leo?"

"He's comin'," Raph said, sounding a little frustrated. Samantha had figured out that he was impatient to get to the bar and have a few drinks.

"Well, I've got a driver waiting outside, so I'm gonna go and tell him to hurry it up," Samantha told them, heading to the stairs and walking up them towards the apartment. Just then, the sound of a door closing made her look up. A boy with dark-brown hair with bangs that fell perfectly into his hazelnut-brown eyes was heading towards the stairs. Samantha froze as he looked up and saw her standing on the stairs, stunned. Samantha's eyes roved over his muscular arms and beautiful face. He was wearing a dark-blue dress shirt and dark pants. He looked like an Abercrombie model come to life. She prayed she wasn't drooling or gaping like a fish on a hook.

"L-Leo? Is that **you**?" she asked in amazement. He smiled sheepishly, revealing beautiful, pearly-white teeth that looked like Chiclets. She had to grip the banister so that she wouldn't fall.

"Do I look alright?" he inquired. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. The purple dress was strapless, and every curve of her body was accentuated to the fullest. He closed his eyes and mentally groaned at the sight of her standing there looking so beautiful, so tempting.

"Alright? Leo, you look…**incredible**!" she breathed.

"Right back at ya," he told her.

"Every girl in that club is gonna be hitting on you tonight!" she chuckled.

"I doubt that, Samantha," he told her, rolling his eyes.

"Have you **looked** in a mirror recently?" she shot back, smiling. "Trust me, Leo. Makayla's gonna **faint **when she sees you!"

"Stop! You're making me blush!" Leo replied, hiding his face in his hands. Then, he felt Samantha pull his hands away from his face, holding them in hers.

"You'll be fine, my Fearless leader," she told him, squeezing his hands gently and giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Now, let's get going before Don and the others think you abducted me or something." Leo smiled as she let go of their hands and followed her down the stairs and into the shop.

"What took ya so long, bro?" Mikey demanded. "We're burning valuable party time here!"

"He wasn't feeling too confident about his ability to charm Makayla, so I had to give him a pep talk," Sam replied, elbowing Leo playfully in the side.

"Well, now it's time ta put yer abilities to da test, Fearless," Raph said, smirking. "Let's hit the club!"

"Wait! I want a picture of this!" April shouted, digging through one of her shelves and taking out a digital camera. "All of you look so amazing!"

"Samantha, get in the middle," Leo instructed as everyone grouped together for the picture in the center of the store.

"Mikey, I swear if you do bunny ears behind my head, I'm gonna kill you," Samantha warned.

"Dat goes double fer me, Mikey," Raph seconded.

"Alright. Hold it! Everyone say, "Cheese"!" April shouted.

"Cheese!" There was a flash from the camera and then it was over. April studied the picture and chuckled.

"Very nice," she commented. Samantha, who after reading April's eyes, knew that someone had done bunny ears behind her head. But she decided to seek revenge on the turtle who'd done it later.

"Now one with you and the guys, April," Samantha said, coming over.

"Well, I don't know. Maybe…" But with the guys encouraging her, April finally surrendered and handed the camera to Samantha. Smiling, Samantha took the picture and then handed the camera back to April.

"Tell Master Splinter not to wait up for us, April!" Don shouted as Samantha hung on to his arm and walked out the front door.

"Hold all our calls!" Mikey exclaimed, waving before receiving a smack to the head from Raph.

"Who'd be calling **us**, Shell for Brains?" Raph reminded him harshly.

"Enough, you two!" Samantha shouted from inside the towncar. "Now, get your ninja butts in here and let's go party like rock stars!"

* * *

The Sapphire Nightclub was a favorite NYU hangout, especially after midterms and finals. The local owner, an NYU alumnus, had established it a few years back, and now, it was one of the most popular clubs in the city. So it didn't surprise Samantha one bit to see a huge line-up winding from the club's neon-light entrance all the way down the street. Kenji pulled up to the curb and allowed the guys and Samantha to exit the car.

"Just call and let me know when you're ready for pickup, Miss Bushido," Kenji informed her.

"Yes, Kenji. Thank you," she replied, smiling.

"Yes. Thank you for doing this, Kenji-san," Leo added.

"It is always my pleasure to be of service to friends of Miss Bushido, sir," he answered, and Samantha thought she saw a small smile cross his features as he got back in the towncar and drove off down the street.

"Ah, man!" Mikey groaned. "Don't tell me we have to stand up and wait in this huge line to get in!"

"You don't!" a voice replied. The four guys and Sam turned to see Olivia coming out of the club and standing at the velvet rope. She was dressed in a beautiful emerald green, one shouldered dress with matching silver heels and emerald earrings. Her hair was loose, and some of the guys in line openly stared and checked her out. She turned to the huge, beefy bouncer and handed him a piece of paper. He scanned it and then turned to the five friends.

"Are you Samantha Bushido plus 4?" the bouncer asked in a gruff voice. Samantha nodded like a wooden puppet. No offense to the guy, but he reminded Samantha a lot of Hun. He lifted the velvet rope and held it aside. The five friends quickly followed Olivia into the club.

"Welcome to the Sapphire, guys!" Olivia said, gesturing to the wide dance floor that was packed with young adults, the bar that was equally packed, and the tables and chairs that were scattered around the room.

"Whoa!" Mikey breathed.

"It's like a whole other world," Don said, gazing at the lights that were flashing across the dance floor. The DJ was spinning a discotheque track that echoed all around them through speakers at both the DJ's table and set up around the club.

"Where are Mac and Tonya, Olivia?" Samantha shouted so that she could be heard over the driving music.

"Over by the bar!" Olivia hollered back. Just then, the two girls in question came into view. Makayla's pixie cut looked fresh and healthy and complimented her pink, spaghetti-strap dress. Tonya's fiery-red locks were loose and she was wearing a tight, strapless, black dress that had a large slit up the side and showed a lot of leg. _Boy! Raph's gonna be over the moon when he sees her in that!_ Samantha thought to herself.

"Hey girls!" Samantha yelled.

"Sam! Hey!" Makayla cried, hugging the young woman. Tonya simply nodded and then immediately straightened up when she noticed the four guys standing behind Samantha.

"Makayla, Tonya, I'd like you to meet Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo," Olivia said, pointing to each of the guys in turn. How she'd figured out who was who was beyond Samantha. "Guys, this is Makayla Norris and Tonya Harrison."

"I thought your names were Louis, Ralph, David and Mike," Tonya pointed out, staring hard at them.

"They're kind of…cautious about telling people their real names until they know they can trust them," Samantha explained, praying that Tonya and Makayla would buy it.

"Good policy," Tonya complimented. "Maybe I should start using it."

"Geez, Tonya! You think** everybody's** out to get you!" Makayla scoffed playfully, rolling her eyes.

"And **you **think people are what they seem and take them at face value, Little Miss Trusting!" Tonya shot back.

"I do not!" Makayla argued.

"Do so!" Tonya countered.

"Do not!"

"Do so!"

"Do not!"

"Do so!"

"Man! They sound just like you two when they argue!" Mikey observed, looking at Raph and Leo. Don glanced at Samantha, who was trying her hardest not to smile after hearing Mikey's comment.

"OK! How about we forget about that and go party! Who's up for some dancing?" Sam suggested.

"I'm in!" Olivia screamed.

"Me too, dudette!" Mikey seconded.

"You're a surfer?" Tonya asked in shock when she heard Mikey talk.

"Nah! But that would be so cool, wouldn't it?" Mikey replied. "I mean, just think about it: the awesome waves, the bodacious beach babes and…!"

"Mikey, I don't think the girls want to hear all that tonight," Leo cut in. Makayla looked and smiled at him in thanks. Leo felt his cheeks turn red and quickly ducked his head. Just then, a familiar song begun playing:

_Went from Mr. 305, Dade County, to Mr. Worldwide, all around the world  
Now we're International, so international, international, so international,_

"_International Love?_ Now, you **know** that's my jam!" Mikey shouted. Then, he turned to Olivia. "Do ya wanna dance with me, 'Liv?"

"I'd be honored, Mikey," Olivia replied, trying to keep the goofy grin off her face as he took her hand and led her to the dance floor. Samantha turned and exchanged grins with Makayla. Tonya simply looked amused.

"So, Donatello. You up for a dance?" Samantha inquired, smiling.

"OK. Why not," Don replied, smiling as she took his hand and backed up with him towards the dance floor.

"Have fun, you guys!" she shouted to Leo and Raph while she looked at Tonya and Makayla.

_You put it down like New York City_ _I never sleep, _

_Wild like Los Angeles_ _My fantasy, _

_Hotter than Miami_ _I feel the heat_

_Oh, Miss international love_

_Oh, Miss international love_

"I didn't think you knew how to dance, Don," Samantha said as he danced in time to the beat of the song. "You seem like you'd avoid dancing no matter what."

"Well, after playing numerous times against Mikey in _Dance Dance Revolution 3_, I picked up on the concepts of rhythm and timing," Don answered. "You see…"

"Um, Don. Can we just enjoy the song and the dancing?" Sam interrupted, wrapping her arms around his neck and bringing herself closer to him.

"Sure," he said, smiling back as his hands rested on her hips and they danced the night away in each other's arms.

* * *

_Raph and Tonya_

"Looks like your brother's getting pretty close to Samantha," Tonya observed. Raph followed her gaze out to the dance floor where Don and Samantha were dancing. He chuckled as Don's hands rested against the girl's hips and they swayed to the beat of the music.

"Yeah. Never thought he had it in 'im," Raph told her as they sat at the bar.

"You doubted your own brother's ability to charm a girl? Wow. You're really nice," Tonya said sarcastically.

"Hey! Don's a little shy around the ladies! And just because I call it like I see it don't mean I'm not a good brother, Missy!"

Tonya looked at Raphael for a second before she snorted a laugh. "You sound just like Care."

"Who's Care?"

"My little sister. She just turned 13, and that's her favorite line to use when we argue."

"How old are ya?"

"17. What about you?"

"Same age as you, Tonya. 17, and proud of it."

"I said that to Care once, and ya know what she told me?"

"What?"

"She told me that I act more like I'm 70 than 17, and that I don't know what "fun" is anymore."

"Geez! What do yer parents think when they hear you two?" Tonya's face suddenly became stony and she looked down into her club soda.

"They…they don't care what we do." Then, she looked up with a fiery gaze that shook Raph's tough guy interior. "And I don't care about **them**, either!"

"They're yer parents."

"So?"

"No matter how much dey annoy ya, they're still yer parents. What's going on between you and them, anyway?"

"Nothing I can't handle myself."

_I've heard that line before, girl,_ Raph thought to himself. _More times than I care ta count! And it always comes from people who need the most help!_

* * *

_Leo and Makayla_

"Wow! I never knew Mikey was such a good dancer," Makayla said to Leo as the two watched Mikey and Olivia dancing like crazy to Calvin Harris's _Let's Go_.

"Yeah. He's a master at _Dance Dance Revolution 3_," Leo chuckled as he watched his little brother's face. Mikey was practically beaming, and not just from being in a different environment where he could have some fun. He was looking at Olivia the entire time they danced and almost seemed…_enchanted_ by her. There was no doubt in Leo's mind anymore. Mikey was falling in love with Olivia. Love. Something he'd always thought he and his brothers would never find because of what they were. But Samantha entering their lives (and introducing them to her friends) had changed all that. Even he, who had always been the most practical of the four, was now starting to believe that they might have a chance at love.

"I always thought that Olivia would fall for a blond guy," Makayla mused aloud.

"And this isn't your personal bias, right?" Leo joked, gesturing to her blond hair.

"HAHA. Very funny," Makayla said, smiling at him. "I'm just glad Olivia's having fun." Then, she glanced over at Raph and Tonya, who were a little further down the bar. "Uh-oh. Looks like Raph pushed the wrong button with Tonya." Leo quickly glanced over and saw Tonya's hard expression.

"He usually pushes the wrong button with people," Leo sighed, running his hand through his hair. "He's just so…so…so…"

"Hotheaded?"

"Exactly."

"Trust me. Tonya's the same way. I'm kind of like the older, responsible "sister" to her, and she's always fighting me about keeping her on a tight leash. I mean, she may be a kick boxer, but there are too many gangsters and psychos in New York City to take chances."

"I said the same thing to Raph the other day when he wanted to start a beef with some Purple Dragons."

"And what'd he say?"

"He said that I was just scared that he'd show me up for once."

"Wow. You two sound like a couple of alpha male wolves fighting it out for dominance."

"Well, between the four of us, I'm kind of the leader. And Raphael's kind of been eyeing the position since day one. He thinks it's just because I'm the oldest that I'm the leader."

"How old are you?"

"18. My birthday's March 17. How about you?"

"I'm 18, too. My birthday's June 23."

"So, do you have any siblings?"

"Well, Tonya, Samantha and Olivia are all like my sisters, but I'm an only child."

"Whereas I have three, younger brothers, as you can see."

"That's probably fun." Leo smirked.

"I'm having the time of my life living with them."

"Trust me. No matter how much they annoy you, you're glad to have them around."

"How'd you know?"

"I'm psychic." Leo chuckled and Makayla lowered her eyes to the ground.

"Am I making you uncomfortable, Makayla?" Leo asked, the concern in his voice clear to the young woman, who looked back up and smiled at him warmly.

"No. It's just…I've never really had a cute guy talk to me like how you and I are talking now," she confessed.

"Really? I thought a lot of guys would be desperate to talk to a pretty girl like you." She blushed and Leo could've smacked himself. _Good one, Leo!_ he scolded himself. _Now she probably thinks you're a total idiot!_

"They do, but…what they want to talk to me about isn't exactly stuff I'm interested in. If you catch my drift." Leo's eyes narrowed, but he nodded to show her that he understood. Then, she smiled again, and Leo felt his heart racing just a little faster.

"You're different from a lot of guys I've met, Leonardo. And…I like that about you." _If only you knew **how** different I am from you, Makayla,_ Leo thought to himself.

"So…would you like to dance with me?" Leo crossed his fingers and waited for her answer.

"I've been waiting for you to ask me that since you got here," Makayla chuckled, taking his hand and allowing him to lead her onto the dance floor.

* * *

_Mikey and Olivia_

"You've got moves, dudette!" Mikey exclaimed happily as he and Olivia finished dancing to J. Lo's _On the Floor_. "You were amazing!"

"Thanks, Mikey!" Olivia replied, beaming. "You weren't too bad yourself!"

"That's because I am the master of _Dance Dance Revolution 3_!" Mikey crowed. Just then, Karl Wolf's _Ghetto Love_ came on, and Mikey instantly became nervous. With songs like these, being close to Olivia was necessary for the dancing to look good. But he was afraid that if he got close to her, he'd step on her foot or something, and that she'd hate him for it. And having Olivia hate him would be worse than a million smacks to the head from his brothers.

"Earth to Mikey!" he heard Olivia say. She was looking at him with a worried look on her face. "You OK?"

"Huh? Yeah. I'm fine."

"So? We gonna dance or just stand here?"

"Um…Olivia? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Mikey."

"You, uh…you don't…mind dancing close to me, do you?" There was silence for a moment before Olivia let out a tinkle of laughter. _Great! _ Mikey thought to himself. _She probably thinks I'm a chicken!_

"Are you kidding? Dancing close to you would make this the best night of my life!"

"It's OK. I under…what?"

"Of course I don't mind dancing close to you, Michelangelo," she told him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "In fact, being close to you just makes me feel that much safer."

"You feel safe with me?"

"Of course. Because I know that if my skills can't get me out of trouble that you'll be there to help me, to protect me."

"I'll always protect you, Olivia," Mikey replied, sliding his arms around her waist and resting his forehead against hers. "I swear that I'll always be there for you. No matter what."

* * *

_Back to Don and Samantha_

"Well done, Cupid," Don murmured in Samantha's ear. "Looks like you've made some love connections."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Einstein," she whispered sweetly back. "I just came here to hang out with my friends and dance with the most amazing guy I've ever known."

"Where is this guy? I'd like to meet him."

"I think you know him pretty well."

"So, are you going to give this amazing guy a kiss?"

"I don't know. Do you think he'll like it?"

"Samantha, any guy who kisses those lips of yours would** more** than like it."

"Alright. If you say so." Then, he leaned his head down towards hers and touched his lips to hers gently at first and then applied more pressure as her arms tightened around his neck.

"Woohoo! Way to go, Donny boy!" Mikey cheered. Sam broke away from the kiss and saw Mikey and Olivia were dancing close together, their foreheads touching. She smiled and then saw Leo dancing with Makayla, who smiled and waved at her. He took his eyes off of Makayla for a second and looked up. He flashed Samantha a smile. The young ninja princess was practically beaming. Then, she turned her head and noticed Raph and Tonya were at the bar, talking. They didn't look like they were flirting, but at least Tonya wasn't shouting at him or shooting him dirty looks.

"Admiring your handiwork, Cupid?" her boyfriend chuckled.

"I just think it's nice that for once, everything's just perfect," Samantha replied, resting her head on Don's chest.

"Me too, my young tiger," he murmured, kissing her hair. "Me too." Samantha sighed and allowed herself to melt into the bliss of a perfect night. _For once, things are finally going right. And tonight, nothing bad is going to happen to ruin this._

_BANG! BANG! BANG! _

_Why do I always jinx these things?_ Samantha scolded herself in her head.

"What the shell?" Don exclaimed, tightening his grip on Samantha as the crowd of dancers immediately began panicking and scurrying every which way. Then, Sam and the others heard voices, rough voices, telling everybody to line up against the wall. Backing away slowly, Sam could see Mikey and Olivia as well as Leo and Makayla nearby. Raph and Tonya were behind them. Everyone looked confused until the person in front of Samantha was shoved down, and the young girl gasped at the tattoo that the masked man was wearing on his arm.

A purple dragon.

**Mikey: Man! These guys just ruined my moment with Olivia! *takes out nunchucks and twirls them, looking very pissed off* I'm seriously gonna kick the shell outta them for this!**

**Don: Not even back from Switzerland for two minutes, and already he's talking about breaking the law!  
**

**Leo: Tell me about it!  
**

**Raph: He ain't de only one who feels like kicking the shell outta these losers!  
**

**Leo: Why? It's not like you and Tonya were making any _real_ progress anyway.  
**

**Me: Ooooo! Raph just got served!*does the _you-got-served_ action from the movie*  
**

**Raph: Well excuse me, Fearless, for not having the girl on the dance floor already like _some_ mutants.  
**

**Me: Ignore Leo, Raph. You and Tonya will get close. _Very_ close.  
**

**Raph: Ooooo. Tell me more.  
**

**Don: Hey! What about me? _I'm_ in the one in a relationship with your O/C! When do I get to get _very_ close to Samantha?  
**

**Leo: Chill your hormones, Donny! Haven't you ever heard of "taking things slow"?  
**

**Mikey: Yeesh, Don. And you say _Raph__'s_ a pervert!  
**

**Don: I'm a teenager.  
**

**Me: So am I. But you don't see _me_ freaking out and making demands! Now, chill out Donny, and wait.  
**

**Mikey: So, when do _I_ get very close to Olivia?  
**

**Me and Leo: Mikey!  
**

**Mikey: What? I'm just asking!  
**

**Me: How many more chapters do I have left until this story's done, Leo?  
**

**Leo: Umm...a lot.  
**

**Me: Damn my ability to create such an intriguing story with amazing other characters and a mind-blowing plot-line!  
**

**So, reviews are what feed my creativity, my readers, so use that little button at the bottom of the screen and review, review, review! I'll have the next chapter up soon! So, like I said, reviews please, starting...now! Happy reading!  
**

**-Livangel16  
**


	35. Chapter 35

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**_  
_

Chapter Thirty-Five

"Purple Dragons? What are **dey** doing here?" Raph hissed into Don's ear. Samantha could see that he was keeping a tight grip on Tonya's arm as the young woman had the look of someone who was going to go on a violent rampage.

"Who cares?" Mikey whispered. "How do we get outta here without causing a scene?"

"There's a backdoor on your left, Leo," Makayla whispered. "There's an alley behind this place. We can escape through there."

"Right. Everyone, stay low and stay silent," Leo ordered softly. Backing all the way to the back of the frightened crowd, the eight people managed to slip out the backdoor without anybody noticing. In fact, a few people actually followed them out.

"We made it," Don sighed in relief. The strangers who'd come with them immediately bolted down the alley to safety.

"How'd you know where it was?" Leo asked Makayla.

"I'm on the Social Committee," Makayla replied modestly. "We have to know all the exits and stuff in case of a fire or any type of emergency."

"Well, we're glad for that," Leo told her, smiling. Then, he took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips, planting a kiss on it. "Thank you, Makayla. We owe you one."

"Call me Mac, Leonardo," she answered, trying her hardest not to blush.

"Then, it's only fair that you call me Leo, Mac," he told her.

"Alright…Leo."

"This is so sappy!" Mikey groaned, clapping a hand over his eyes.

"Aw! Isn't this sweet?" said a mocking voice. Everyone turned and saw about twenty Purple Dragons heading their way. Samantha whipped around and saw a huge, blank wall behind them. They were trapped.

"What do you lowlife street punks want?" Tonya snapped.

"She's a feisty one, ain't she, fellas?" one of them said, his dark hoodie obscuring his face. "Tell you boys what? We'll let ya go and then, we'll give the girls back to you when we're through… _partying_ with them."

"Over my dead body, punk!" Raph growled, putting Tonya behind him and whipping out his sais.

"Raph?" Samantha said, but she looked and saw that the others had their weapons on them as well. "How did you guys…?"

"We're ninjas, Sam," Don reminded her in a soft voice. "And a ninja's always prepared!"

"I thought that was the Boy Scouts," Mikey corrected.

"Mikey! So **not** the time!" Leo said through gritted teeth as he pushed Makayla behind him. Not caring whether her friends saw or not, Samantha held her Amulet in the air. There was a flash of light, and the next moment, she was clad in her battle suit, her wakizashi on her back.

"Whoa! Samantha!" Makayla breathed.

"Nice outfit," Tonya commented. "What are you? Some sort of ninja?" Samantha felt her blood freeze and was thankful when the figure in the dark hoodie pushed the hood back and revealed the scarred, black-eye patch wearing face of Marcus Danielson the Third.

"Marcus?" Makayla shouted.

"I should've known!" Samantha growled, tightening her grip on the hilt of her sword.

"Guess getting stabbed in that alley by those vigilantes didn't teach you a damn thing, huh, Danielson!" Tonya snarled. "You're still running with these punks and attacking innocent people!"

"Oh, cry me a river Harrison! Just 'cause you opened your legs for one of my boys doesn't mean you can suddenly become all holier-than-thou on me!" Marcus shot back.

"Why you no-good, dirty little…!" Tonya screeched, launching herself forward to kill Marcus when Olivia grabbed her and held her back.

"Just let us pass and no one gets hurt!" Leo snapped, his katana blades glittering in the moonlight.

"I recognize those swords!" Marcus gasped, taking out a long knife. "It's them! It's the freaks! Get 'em!"

"And here we go again!" Mikey groaned as he, Raph, Leo, Don and Samantha launched forward and attacked the oncoming surge of Purple Dragons.

"Makayla! Olivia! Tonya! Get out of here!" Samantha shouted as took out a Purple Dragon.

"No way!" Makayla yelled back as she flipped a Purple Dragon before ducking and kicking another. "We're not leaving you and the guys to fight this alone!"

"Besides, I got a bone to pick with Mr. Richie-Rich Dragon Boy!" Tonya hollered, flooring a Dragon with a lethal kick before punching another. "**NOBODY** talks BS about me and gets away with it!"

"What the hell?" Samantha heard one of the men yell. She whipped around and saw him holding Don's gold chain in his hand. Don was on the ground, but in full out mutant turtle form. Sam saw the others reverting back to their mutant form, their gold chains short-circuiting and the clothes tearing and fluttering to the ground. Their masks were still around their eyes. She turned and looked at Olivia before they both looked at Tonya and Makayla, who were staring at the guys with shocked looks on their faces.

"See? I told ya it was those freaks!" Marcus yelled. But even then, his thugs were running away scared. He was probably in charge of a squad of newbies who hadn't yet been informed about the "freaks". Suddenly, Marcus was surrounded by the four turtles, their weapons drawn and being twirled menacingly.

"I suggest you start running," Leo whispered in a deadly voice. Marcus growled before shooting off after his crew.

"This isn't over, freaks!" he shouted to them. "Not by a long shot!" Then, he was gone. The four turtles turned and saw Makayla and Tonya gaping at them before looking at one another.

"Well…I guess the cat's out of the bag now," Don sighed, his hand on his forehead.

"You guys are…TURTLES?" Makayla asked in complete and utter shock.

"Teenage mutant ninja turtles to be exact, dudette," Mikey offered.

"Mikey!" the others groaned.

"What?" Mikey replied, shrugging.

"Whoa!" Tonya replied. "Cool!"

"What? No screaming and running?" Raph asked pointedly.

"Oh, were you expecting that? I'm sorry. Let me not disappoint you," Tonya shot back. "Help! Oh, help! There are a bunch of mutant ninja turtles trying to save me! Help! Oh please! Somebody save me from my saviors!" Leo, Don, Mikey and the other three girls all snickered as Raph sheathed his sais and muttered under his breath.

"I'm gonna go out a limb and guess that you two knew this the whole time," Makayla said, looking at Sam and Olivia. The two girls hung their heads like children caught raiding the cookie jar. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Ya wanna guess?" Tonya asked her sarcastically, tilting her head at the four turtles. "I can tell they like being secretive and unnoticed by the outside world. Besides, if I wasn't seeing this for myself, I'd think they were crazy. Wouldn't you?"

"I **would** find it hard to believe," Makayla confessed.

"So, you're not afraid of us?" Leo inquired.

"Of course not, Leo," Makayla replied gently, smiling.

"Unless your change in form comes with a sudden personality change too," Tonya said.

"It doesn't," Don replied flatly.

"Then, you have nothing to worry about," Tonya assured them. "We can keep our mouths shut, and you being giant, talking turtles doesn't bother us one bit. Cool?"

"Totally cool, dudette!" Mikey cheered.

"Now, we'll escort you girls home just in case there are anymore thugs around," Leo offered.

"Sure," Makayla said.

"I'm down with that," Olivia seconded.

"Why not?" Samantha agreed.

"No thanks," Tonya refused.

"WHAT?" everyone shouted.

"I can take care of myself without a ninja turtle escorting me home," she replied firmly. "See you girls at school. Nice meeting you guys." With that, she walked out of the alley, heels clacking against the stone.

"That girl is impossible," Makayla groaned, shaking her head.

"Well, we can't force her to accept our presence," Leo told her. "Let's get going. Hope you girls don't mind being carried. The rooftops are a lot faster than the streets."

"Not at all," Samantha replied. The other two girls nodded and Don, Leo and Mikey picked up a girl bridal style. Samantha wasn't surprised to see that Olivia was with Mikey or that Makayla was with Leo. She smiled to herself.

"Everyone all set?" Don inquired.

"You guys go ahead," Raph told them. "All Little Miss Harrison's attitude has left me needing to punch out somebody. I'll see ya back at April's." And before anyone could say another word, Raph was leaping up the fire escapes and was gone across the rooftops.

"You know he's going after her, right?" Olivia asked Mikey.

"Oh yeah, 'Liv," Mikey chuckled.

"There aren't any secrets in our family," Don snickered.

"No matter how hard we try to keep them under wraps!" Leo laughed as the three turtles took off with their respective girls for their various homes.

* * *

_Raph and Tonya_

"I can take care of myself," Tonya said to herself out loud as she walked to her apartment, the one she and Care had lived in for the past two years. The first place they'd ever felt safe.

"That's nice to know, sweet thing," a voice purred and before Tonya could react, a hand reached out and snatched her into the darkness of an alley. She felt herself being shoved against a wall and felt the cold steel of a knife at her throat. "Scream, and I'll slit yer throat!"

"Let go of me, you creep!" Tonya shouted, kicking the man hard in the shin. He dropped the knife and she threw a punch that knocked him to the ground, but as she ran, she didn't see the other three people blocking the alley's entrance…until she ran smack into them. One of them seized her arm and tossed her to the ground.

"Now that wasn't very nice," he said a mocking voice. The man she'd punched came over, his lip bleeding. He kicked her in the back hard. She rolled over onto her stomach and felt someone grab her legs. She thrashed and managed to land a kick, but someone kicked her in the face and she cried out in pain.

"Hold her down!" she heard someone say.

"Now dat's no way to treat a lady!" a familiar voice said before Tonya saw Raphael materialize out of the shadows, twirling his sais.

"It's the freak! Get 'im!" They all rushed forward and Tonya staggered to her feet and watched as Raphael took out every single one of them. Sheathing his sais, he came over to Tonya and clenched his teeth at the sight of her bruised face and the dirt on her dress.

"You alright?" he asked her.

"Fine," she replied shortly before turning on her heel and walking towards her apartment. She hated being a damsel-in-distress, and she hated it when other people stepped into her fights, let alone won them. Raph let out a frustrated sigh and muttered, "Women" before following after Tonya.

* * *

_Mikey and Olivia_

"I can't believe you live in the Bronx, 'Liv," Mikey said as they sat on the roof of the deluxe condominium building where Olivia lived with her mother, who was a plastic surgeon. Her father was a fighter pilot deployed in Iraq. She'd told him all of this as if this was something that she usually told anyone who would listen.

"Hey! Not everyone in the Bronx is bad, Mikey!" she chided him playfully. "Stop stereotyping my neighborhood before I kick your ninja butt off this roof!"

"I'd like to see you try, dudette!" Mikey chuckled before Olivia pounced on him. They rolled for a very short distance before Olivia was on top of him, holding his hands above his head.

"You were saying, my nunchuck-wielding ninja turtle?" she asked playfully.

"Good thing Leo and Raph aren't here," Mikey chuckled. "They're already on my shell enough about not training enough."

"I'll bet," Olivia laughed before looking down into Mikey's face. Suddenly, as if some force was pushing her down towards him, she leaned down and touched her lips to his. Mikey was shocked at first, but then managed to wriggle his hands out of her grip and place them on the small of her back as he returned the kiss.

"I've wanted to do that all night," she whispered as she broke away and got off of him. He leapt to his feet and took her face in his hands.

"Me too, Olivia," he replied, pressing a light kiss to her forehead. "I…I just didn't think you'd fall for… someone like me."

"You mean someone as sweet, caring, funny, brave and handsome as usual, Michelangelo? Any girl who'd pass you up must either be taken or just downright crazy."

"Really?"

"Really, my ninja turtle warrior," Olivia said, pulling Mikey back in for another kiss.

* * *

_Leo and Makayla_

"Well, here we are," Makayla said as Leo landed in front of the house with the young woman still in his arms.

"I've never seen this part of Queens before," Leo told her, gazing around at the quiet, suburban neighborhood in wonderment. "It's so…peaceful."

"Yeah. Something to look forward to after a day of noise in the big city." Then, there was silence between the two.

"So…I'm sorry that this night didn't go exactly like I was hoping."

"Don't worry about it. If anybody should be apologizing, it should be the Purple Dragons who crashed the party at Sapphire, not you!"

"True."

"Besides…I had a great time kicking their butts in that alley with you."

"Don't think that's going to be a regular thing, Mac."

"Aw, man!" Leo shook his head and chuckled.

"The Purple Dragons are dangerous, Makayla. I don't want you getting hurt."

"I can take care of myself in a fight, Leonardo. Let me prove it to you."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because…"

"Because why?"

"Because…if you got hurt, I'd never forgive myself."

"Leonardo. Quit worrying so much. I can handle it. Besides, if you're by my side, I know you'll protect me. You **will** protect me, Leo. Right?"

"With my life, Makayla."

"Well, I'd better go inside. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Before Leo could turn away, Makayla pulled him close to her and pressed her mouth to his. He responded to her almost instantly, and then, it was only when footsteps could be heard on the other side of the door that Leo broke away and disappeared into the shadows.

"Makayla! Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you all night!" a male voice, probably her father, exclaimed.

"Sorry, Dad. The party kind of got crashed and a guy I met there walked me home."

"I suppose that was who you were talking to out here. Well…he certainly sounds like a nice, young man."

"Trust me, Dad," Makayla said, beaming as she walked into the house and as Leonardo soared jubilantly across the rooftops of Queens back towards the city. "_Nice_ doesn't even **begin** to describe this guy."

* * *

_Raph and Tonya_

"Ya know, ya could at least have said, "Thank you"," Raph told Tonya pointedly as he walked alongside her. "I didn't have to save yer pretty little ass."

"You're right!" Tonya shot back. "I could've handled it myself! I'm not a freakin' damsel!"

"Did I say dat? No!"

"You're pretty good at implying it! I'm no damsel, Raphael! I'm a fighter!"

"Being a fighter and being stupid are two **very **different things!"

"So now I'm stupid **and** weak to you?"

"No! But ya gotta let someone help ya once in a while! Yer not an island, Tonya!" The young woman was silent as they reached the apartment building. Tonya took out her key and then turned to the ninja turtle.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked. Raphael, to say the least, was taken aback by the sudden shift in attitude, but he simply nodded and followed Tonya down the hallway and to a door on the left. She opened the door with her key and left the lights off so as not to startle her little sister with the fact that she'd brought a giant, ninja turtle home with her.

"Care? Caroline? I'm home!" Tonya shouted, kicking off her black pumps. Padding across the carpet, Raph followed her down the hall. She stopped in front of a door that read _Caroline's Room. Keep Out!_ and Raph saw a piece of paper taped to it. Tonya ripped it off the door.

"Tonya. Went out with some friends. Have my keys. Don't wait up for me.-Care," she read aloud. She pushed open the door to her sister's room and turned on a light. Raphael looked around and saw a bed and a dresser up against the wall, clothes strewn everywhere, and posters of teen celebrities plastered all over her walls along with various rock bands. A couple of ratty-looking stuffed animals sat on the bed. It looked like a normal teenage girl's room. Well, at least it did to Raphael.

"What the heck? She can't just take off whenever she feels like it!" Tonya ranted. "She thinks just because she's thirteen that she's grown and can take care of herself?"

"Wonder where she gets **dat** from?" Raph asked sarcastically as he looked around Caroline's room.

"Watch it, Sai Boy! And who are these friends she's talking about? I mean, **I've** never seen her hanging out with anyone." Just then, Raph stubbed his toe on something hard underneath a purple sweater on the floor. Tossing the sweater aside, he picked up a pair of brass knuckles. Turning them in his hand, he gasped when he saw an insignia on the right one.

"Uh, Tonya? I think I know what kind of friends she's hanging out with," Raphael said gravely, tossing her the brass knuckles with the symbol side up. He saw Tonya literally freeze and stare down at the brass knuckles in horror before tossing them to the ground and clenching her fists.

"I'm gonna kill every last one of those Purple Dragons!" she growled, storming back down the hallway. Raph followed her and saw her reach into the coat closet and take out a baseball bat. He quickly grabbed her wrist.

"Hang on there, Tonya! Ya need to explain what's going on to me!"

"Isn't it obvious, Raphael? My sister's running with the Purple Dragons, and I have to take them out and save her!"

"Dat's not what I mean, Tonya. I mean, what's with this vendetta of yours against the Purple Dragons? I'm no fan of them either, and I'll gladly help ya take 'em out, but ya gotta tell me everything. I can't go into a fight blindly without knowing what I'm fighting for!"

"You're fighting for** me**, Raphael! And for my sister! Isn't that enough for you?"

"Normally, I'd say "yes", but right now is no time to be playing dat card, Tonya Harrison. Your little sister is out there, running with the Purple Dragons for whatever messed up reason, and she needs your help. Now, those punks did something to you, and I wanna know what it is because I need to know why you want 'em dead and why da hell you're always pushing people away from you!" There was silence. Raphael thought she was gonna tell him to piss off or something, but when she turned and faced him, he saw tears glistening in her eyes.

"Raph! I…I'm so sorry for how I treated you!"

"It's alright. Dat's in da past. Just tell me everything."

"Where do I start, Raphael? My life's so screwed up that I don't know where to start."

"Start from the beginning, Tonya. Just start from the beginning and take yer time."

"Well, I guess you could say that all of this started…"

**TBC...**

**Mikey: Aw shell! I _hate_ cliffhangers!  
**

**Raph: Tell me about it! Now I gotta wait 'til the next chapter ta find out why dis chick hates Purple Dragons so much!  
**

**Leo: Um, Raph. That "chick" is your girlfriend, remember?  
**

**Raph: It ain't official yet, Fearless!  
**

**Don: Well, you could at least say her name instead of "this chick".  
**

**Raph: Yeah, yeah! Whatever! Hey, Livangel16! Do I get to smack heads in the next chapter?  
**

**Me: Well, that all depends on the Muses. They feed my creativity and so...  
**

**Raph: DO I GET TO KICK SOME SHELL OR NOT?*draws out his sais and points them at me*  
**

**Me: I just remembered! The Muses mentioned having a very violent streak for about the next week or so, so yes. You will get to smack heads in the next chapter, Raph! Now, could you lower your weapons.  
**

**Raph: Sure.  
**

**Leo: What a short-tempered turtle!  
**

**Mikey: Yeah! And just think of the poor suckers he's gonna be hunting down! *does Elmer Fudd voice: Be very quiet! I'm hunting Purple Dragons!*  
**

**Raph: You are _such_ a mutant!  
**

**So, reviews are what feed my creativity, my readers, so use that little button at the bottom of the screen and review, review, review! I'll have the next chapter up soon! So, like I said, reviews please, starting...now! Happy reading!  
**

**-Livangel16  
**


	36. Chapter 36

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers who make this writer so happy: grapejuice101, IceColdFever, pokemonjkl, flamedragon242, Kimmie98, Wingnut2.0., ninja-warrior101, RAHELA,and WolfAssassin369! You guys seriously make me feel like my story is amazing and that I should continue on, no matter what! And for that, I'm saying a big THANK YOU (can't say it enough times to express the gratitude I feel towards you guys)! So, the next chapter is finally here, and I'm gonna let the other amazing people reading this story catch up over the weekend before coming back with my next big chapters based on my second-most favorite episode in 2003 TMNT: The Shredder Strikes Back Parts 1 and 2 as well as Tales of Leo! And all I'm gonna say for now is that you're in for a _real_ treat! But for now, enjoy Raph's little adventure with Tonya and her sister, Caroline!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**_  
_

Chapter Thirty-Six

_Don and Samantha_

"Hey guys!" April greeted as Don and Samantha came walking through the side door of the store. Samantha had insisted on changing back into the purple dress and her heels to avoid any suspicion from Master Splinter. It was then that April noticed that Don was back in turtle form. "Don. What happened? Why are you back as a mutant turtle?"

"Well…once we got to your place, it only made sense to change back," Don explained, but April's expression told the two that she didn't believe them for a minute. Don sighed and took out the broken chain and saw April's face come alive with shock.

"What happened?" she inquired.

"A bunch of Purple Dragons stormed into the Sapphire trying to rob the guests," Samantha explained. "We escaped into an alley and ran into Marcus and more Purple Dragons. During the fight, one of those punks probably ripped Don's neck chain off him thinking that he was stealing something valuable. The other chains short-circuited and then, the guys changed back."

"In front of the girls?" April demanded. "What did they say?"

"Surprisingly, it didn't bother them," Don answered. "They promised to keep our secret and then we separated, with Leo taking Makayla to Queens and Mikey heading off with Olivia to the Bronx and Raph keeping an eye on Tonya here in the city."

"Is Master Splinter still up?" Samantha asked April.

"Oh yes. His "stories" are in the middle of an all-day marathon with new episodes," April responded, chuckling. "You should find him in front of the TV, eyes glued to the screen."

"Thanks," Don replied before wrapping an arm around Samantha's waist. The two of them headed up the stairs and opened the door to the apartment. Master Splinter was indeed sitting on the couch, eyes riveted to the television screen.

"Hello, Master Splinter," Samantha greeted.

"You fool!" the elderly rat shouted. Don and Sam exchanged confused looks.

"Master Splinter! I didn't do anything," Samantha replied.

"Not **you,** my child," Master Splinter told her, waving a paw at her. "I'm talking about Angela. Why would she accept a marriage proposal from Julian when she knows that she loves William? She is such a, as you kids would say, gold-digger!" Just then, Samantha heard the window open and saw Leo and Mikey climbing into the apartment.

"Hey Sensei!" Mikey exclaimed. "Hey, lovebirds! What's up?"

"OK, Mikey. You've **never** called me and Donny "lovebirds"," Samantha reminded him, crossing her arms across her chest and smirking. "So, what's with the new name?"

"Can't a turtle divert from his usual habits, dudette?" Mikey answered.

"I suppose so. Especially if that turtle also happened to kiss my best friend on the roof of her condo in the Bronx," Sam chuckled. Mikey's jaw dropped and Leo hid a laugh behind a cough.

"What? My son, as soon as my stories take a commercial break, you and I must have a "talk"," Master Splinter said pointedly.

"Aw, man! Thanks a lot, Sammy!" Mikey groaned, walking over to the couch and flopping down beside Master Splinter.

"And don't think I didn't notice that spring in your step, Fearless," Sam whispered to Leo. He looked shocked, but Sam smiled. "My father always told me that the eyes are the gateway to the soul. And your eyes gave you away the minute you stepped in here, Hamato Leonardo."

"But why didn't you say anything out loud to Master Splinter?" he asked.

"He'll figure it out all on his own, Leonardo. You are his favorite son. He knows you too well not to notice the change. He knows **all** of you too well not to notice it."

* * *

_Raph and Tonya_

"Well, I guess you could say that all of this started after my mother died," Tonya explained as she and Raph sat beside each other on the couch in the small living room. "I was only thirteen when she passed away, and my father remarried not long after that to some broad who was about ten years younger than him and twenty times more annoying. She and I fought constantly over everything: clothes, bills, my father, and you get the picture. You see, my father had a drinking problem after my mother got sick with ovarian cancer, and his second wife would use that to get back at me for mouthing off to her. She'd tell him all kinds of crap and then he'd fly into a drunken rage and beat me. One time, he messed up my shoulder so badly, it was killing me for a month."

"Damn! I woulda killed him!" Raph growled.

"Your own father, Raphael? Even though I hated his drunken guts, he was still responsible for giving me life. It went on for a few months, and then I decided that I was leaving. I wanted to take Tonya with me, but my father said he'd call the cops and have me arrested for kidnapping. I knew I couldn't take any chances with Tonya, so I left here there. But not before swearing that I'd come back for her."

"So, how'd you end up here?"

"I had a cousin who was kind of like the older brother I never had set me up in this place. He knew about my father's drinking problem and he hated my stepmother. He pays the rent and food while I go to school and work part-time as a hostess at a restaurant. I got custody of Tonya just six months ago after a judge finally ruled my father's home as "unfit for a minor's well-being". God only knows what she's had to endure."

"Well, dat explains why yer here, but it don't explain why ya hate de Purple Dragons so much."

"When I was thirteen and moved in here the first night, I didn't know anything about the dangers that lurked in alleyways and stuff. Nobody warned me, either. So, one night, I was walking back from the corner store with milk and bread when someone grabbed me and pulled me into an alley. He shoved me against a wall, and I saw four other guys there, all of them wearing purple dragons on their arms. I tried to fight my way out of it, but one of them hit me in the head with a metal pipe. It knocked me to the ground. I heard one of them say, "Hold her down" and people grabbed my hands and ankles and pinned me to the ground. I tried to scream, but they hit me again. I was still conscious when they tore off my clothes and…and…raped me."

"WHAT?" He felt something inside him snap, and his vision turned red. He knew the Purple Dragons were scum, but to gangbang a thirteen year old kid? That was more than he could bear to hear! He studied Tonya's face and saw silent tears sliding down her cheeks. He wanted to track down the punks who'd done this to her and kick their asses.

"I…I remember one of them was a blond guy with green eyes. He went first. He told them I had a tight c*** and that I was the best b**** he'd f***** in a long time. The others just laughed and waited for their turn. When they were done, they left me there, bleeding and naked. I put my clothes back on and went back home. I just locked myself in my apartment for three weeks. Care came to see me, but I told her to go away. I didn't want her to see me so broken, so messed up, so…_weak_. Then, I found out I was pregnant. I had an abortion. I…I know people think it's wrong, Raphael, but I…I couldn't live with one of those scumbags' child! I just couldn't!"

"It's OK, Tonya. It's OK."

"I took up kickboxing to defend myself better. I started becoming suspicious of every man that came across my path. And when I got custody of Care, I swore that no one, especially those lowlife Purple Dragons, would hurt my sister! I failed her, Raphael! I failed my little sister!"

"Listen ta me, Tonya. Ya haven't failed Care yet. You can still save her. But ya gotta tell her what happened to ya, why she shouldn't be with those lowlifes!"

"I…I can't, Raphael!"

"Why not? Don't you understand what's at stake here, Tonya? Don't ya care about yer little sister?"

"OF COURSE I CARE! But I…I can't let her see me as weak, Raphael. Not after she's seen me so strong."

"Yer not weak, Tonya. Yer proud. Ya don't want ta injure yer pride, but ya gotta. Believe me. I've had ta swallow my own pride enough times to do stuff."

"Really?"

"I ain't no BS-ing therapist. Course I mean it. And I'll help ya get yer sister back."

"Thanks, Raphael."

"Call me Raph."

"OK…Raph. Let's go get my sister!"

"Hang on a minute! We're gonna need some help!"

"Got anybody in mind?"

"Actually…I do."

* * *

"Thanks fer agreeing ta help us out, Angel," Raph whispered as he, Tonya, Angel and six of Angel's friends, all of them former Purple Dragons, crept towards the warehouse close to the South City piers.

"Hey, Care's my friend, and if she's in trouble, then I wanna help," Angel replied as they gazed at the trucks unloading stolen merchandise into the warehouse. "She and I hung out while we were initiates, but when I found out what happened with Casey's father, I dropped out and convinced some of the others to do it, too. But not Care. She wanted to get away from her father and her stepmother, and even when she came to live with you, she said you reminded her of them; that when she tried to do things that you just went off and acted like some crazed dictator."

"She said that?" Tonya asked in anger, but with a warning glance from Raph, she bit her tongue and muttered under her breath.

"So, what are we doing here anyway?" Raph inquired.

"This is where the initiates are taken to see Purple Dragon operations," Angel explained. "It's a small place with not very much importance, but they wanna see if the initiates are working for the cops or will rat them out for a quick buck. If they pass, it's on to the next task."

"Then we stop my sister's initiation path here and now!" Tonya snarled.

"Follow me," Angel instructed as she led them through a valley of crates and towards the side entrance. "There's no security around here." They quickly slipped inside and saw massive amounts of crates. Raph stabbed his sai into one and pried it open. Inside, there was a massive amount of ammo and guns.

"They're stocking up," Raph muttered. Just then, they heard voices coming in their direction. Quickly replacing the crate lid, they dove behind the crates and peered out. They saw a blond-haired guy walking with a skinny, short redheaded girl. Raph could tell by the shocked look on Tonya's face that the girl was her sister, Caroline.

"What do you need so many guns for?" they heard Caroline ask the blond-haired guy.

"We got a lot of competition," the blond-haired guy answered, turning to Caroline and eyeing her with a look that Raph didn't like one bit. "Yer a curious one, ain't ya, sweet thing?"

"I just wanna know how my new crew works," Caroline shot back.

"Well, how 'bout I show you how **I** work, baby?" he purred, pushing her back against the crates and pinning her there with his body. Raph turned and saw Caroline biting down on her lip so hard that a trickle of blood was beginning to flow down her chin.

"No thanks, pal," Caroline growled, trying to shove him off her. Raph heard the sound of a slap and a girl crying out.

"Don't you get lippy with me, you little slut!"" he growled. "Now, spread your legs, or I'll make sure you never become a Purple Dragon!"

"Screw you, jackass! I don't have to get tapped by you to be a PD! Now, screw off!" Care snarled before pushing him hard. Tonya began to smile, but then her face became a mask of horror as the man drew out a gun and pointed it at her sister.

"Don't move, you little whore, or I'll blow your brains out!" he threatened, finger poised on the trigger. Care froze in her tracks.

"That's it!" Tonya growled. Reaching into Raph's belt, she seized a shuriken and threw it hard at the blond holding the gun. It missed him, but hit the gun squarely, knocking it out of his hands. As he whipped around, Tonya leapt out from behind the crates, fists balled up and ready to pummel the creep into the ground.

"Keep your slimy claws off my baby sister, punk!" Tonya snarled fiercely.

"Tonya? What're you doing here?" Care demanded.

"I **knew** she looked familiar!" the blond guy chuckled, walking towards Tonya. "Yer dat sweet a** I tapped a few years back. Came back for more, sweet thing?"

"Screw you, you little piece of vomit! I'm here to take my sister away from this dump and save her from a bunch of lowlife punks!"

"You haven't changed a bit since our little rendezvous, have ya, baby?"

"How dare you!"

"Tonya? What is he talking about?" Caroline inquired.

"Nothing, Care! He's just spewing crap out of his mouth!" Tonya snapped back.

"What? You didn't tell your baby sister about us, honey?" he chuckled.

"Shut up!"

"Tonya! What's he talking about?"

"Me and your sister were banging each other for a while before she broke it off with me. I was **so** upset," the blond lied.

"That's a lie!" Tonya snarled.

"You were sleeping with a Purple Dragon and yet you were always telling me to have nothing to do with them? You're such a hypocrite!" Care shouted at her older sister.

"Care, I would **never** sleep with one of these bastards!" Tonya shot back defensively.

"Then, what's the truth?"

"I…I…Care. You remember when you came to see me about a month after I moved out of Dad's place?"

"Yeah. I remember that you didn't wanna see me!

"Why would I date the bastard who **raped** me and got me pregnant?"

"WHAT?"

"He and his buddies jumped me and gang-raped me, Care. This sick little prick and his buddies held me down in an alley and raped me so many times that I lost count after the fourth time! I didn't go to the cops or anything because I was ashamed and scared. I got an abortion when I found out I was pregnant."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I…I thought that by protecting you, you'd catch on to the fact that something had happened. Besides, I…I didn't want you to think I was weak."

"Aww! How touching!" the blond man said mockingly, picking up a metal pipe from nearby. "But you ain't getting outta here, darling!"

"HA! That's what you think! You punks are going down!"

"Oh yeah? And who's gonna do that?"

"**We are**!" Raph shouted, emerging from behind the crates with Angel and the others, twirling his sais.

"Oh boys!" the blond guy shouted, and a group of fifteen, heavily-armed Purple Dragons came in behind Raph, Angel and her friends. "Take care of the trash while I take of my "old friend" here, would ya?" Growling, Tonya launched herself at her rapist who quickly dodged it and came back around, swinging the pipe at her head. Tonya quickly dodged it and threw a punch that clipped her rapist's jaw. Growling, he swung the pipe again and after she ducked and came up, he caught her off guard and nailed her in the side of the head with it. A quick sweep of the legs brought her crashing to the cement floor of the warehouse, blood dripping from a gash in her head.

"Tonya! No!" Raph shouted, fighting desperately to get to her.

"Aw! Your little freak can't save you now, b****!" the blond guy hissed at her, raising the pipe high over his head. Then, he smiled horribly and lowered it. "Nah. I'll let Care take you out."

"You little bastard!" Raph snarled as he dodged another from another Purple Dragon. "When I get my hands on ya, I'll…!"

"Do it, Care! Do it, and yer in! The Purple Dragons need someone like you with us! Your sister's lied to you, treated you like a baby! Us? We've treated you like a grown woman. Just one hit to the head, and you're a Dragon, Care!" Caroline stepped forward, the bat in her hands as her sister started to weakly stir and moan.

"Care! I know she can be a pain in the ass, but she's still yer sister! I have siblings too, and no matter how much they irritate the living shell outta me, I'd **never** do something like dis to 'em!" Raph yelled, taking out another Purple Dragon. "Don't do it!"

"Ignore the freak! Do it, and you'll have a _real_ family! Dis pathetic piece of trash," he kicked Tonya in the side, "just wants to make you think that yer still a baby! Take her out, and no one can tell you otherwise!"

"Care, de only reason your sister's like dis is because she wants to protect you!" Raph argued. "She shoulda told ya what happened, but she wanted you to see her as strong because your father and yer stepmom weren't. She only wants the best for you, Caroline! Don't do it!"

"Shut up!" she shouted, raising the bat above her head.

"Caroline, no!" Raph yelled. But at the last second, she swung the bat hard and caught her sister's rapist hard in the head. He dropped to the ground like a sack of rice, and the other thugs, seeing their leader down, quickly retreated. Raph rushed over and helped Caroline haul up Tonya.

"Care? I thought you were gonna…" Tonya began.

"No way," Care told her firmly. "You may act like a total dictator and a jerk sometimes, but** nobody** hurts my big sister! Not even me!" Tonya's eyes filled with tears and before she knew it, she was enveloping Caroline in a bone-crushing hug which her younger sister gladly returned. Raph looked on and felt an unfamiliar sight warm his heart: over the shoulder of her younger sister, Tonya's face was lit up with a smile.

* * *

"Ya sure you'll be alright?"Raph inquired as he and Tonya stood in the doorway of her apartment.

"Yeah. Care's a great doctor," Tonya replied, chuckling. "She's always taking care of me when I get hurt or sick. We'll be fine."

"If ya ever need anything, look me up."

"Yeah. I'm sure your name's in the yellow pages under "Mutants"!"

"HAHA, Tough Girl. Very funny. I'm killing myself laughing."

"Whatever, Sai Boy. I'll see ya around."

"_Don't_ call me Sai Boy, Tough Girl!"

"Then _don't _call me Tough Girl…Sai Boy!"

"Tonya…!"

"See? You call me by my name, and I'll call you by yours, Raph."

"Why do you women always have to be difficult?"

"If I was a radical feminist, I'd kick your sorry shell for saying that, Raphael."

"Again: women!"

"Look. I…I just wanna say thanks. You know, for helping me save my sister. And for helping me see that I don't have to be a rock all the time."

"No problem. I…" He was about to say more, but he was cut off when Tonya leaned in and kissed him. Her lips were soft and sweet, and Raph pulled her against him as he responded to it, sliding his tongue out and licking her lips lightly.

"Damn. Yer good, Tonya."

"Thanks. But don't think that just because you got a kiss from me that I'm gonna start being some lovey-dovey romantic, girly-girl! I've got my own style, honey!"

"Trust me, babe. Dat's the **last** thing I'd think you'd become!" He pulled her back against him and kissed her, this time pushing her back into the wall, his lips insistent and hot against hers. Her arms were around his neck, pulling him close to her. She moaned when his tongue found hers and fought it. He won, obviously, but that didn't mean that she hadn't put up a fight.

"Oh my God! Don't people do it in bed anymore?" asked Care in mock shock. Raph and Tonya immediately broke apart, hoping that the dim light of the hallway would hide their flushed cheeks.

"Care! How much did you see?" Tonya asked, straightening her hair.

"Enough of your make-out to scar me for life!" Care replied, clapping a hand over her eyes. "My older sister making out with a guy in the hallway? I'd never thought I'd see the day!"

"Geez, kid! Ya act like ya ain't ever seen love scenes in movies or something!" Raph said, rolling his eyes.

"Look. I'm not the Pope and this ain't Catholic school, but how about you reserve this kind of stuff for someplace where **I'm **not around, OK?"

"Caroline…!" The young girl quickly disappeared back into the apartment. Tonya let out a small chuckle before turning back to Raph, who was eyeing the gash on her head.

"I'd better go and see to this," she said, gingerly touching the scar. Giving him a final, parting kiss, she smiled and went back into her apartment. "See ya around…Raphael." He smiled and waved before heading down the hallway and out the lobby.

As he leaped from rooftop to rooftop, Raph felt lighter than air. All he could think about was Tonya's soft lips on his mouth, the feel of her warm body against his own, and her voice. He quickly shook himself, refusing to let his brothers see him reduced to a lovestruck teenage mutant ninja turtle. Soon, April's store and apartment came into view and Raph landed next to the open window and climbed in.

"Welcome back, Hothead," he heard Samantha greet him, smiling expectantly.

"So, what took ya so long, bro?" Leo asked, not sounding as serious as he usually did.

"Got into it with some Purple Dragons is all," Raph replied shortly.

"And did one of those Purple Dragons happen to be wearing Sephora lip gloss?" Don asked, smirking. Raph immediately tapped a finger against his mouth and saw the red gloss on his fingers.

"Oooo! Raphie kissed Tonya!" Mikey cooed.

"Can it, Mikey!" Raph snapped.

"So, how was it? Is she good or is she sloppy? Did you put your tongue in her mouth? Did ya…?"

"Dat's it! I'm going ta take a shower!" Raph shouted, heading for April's bathroom.

"Oh God, Raph! Already?" Mikey asked in shock.

"When I get outta da shower, Mikey, yer a dead turtle!" And as he let the hot water beat his body, his thoughts wandered to a red-haired, fiery girl who stolen his heart and who he'd do anything in the world for. Raph smiled. Not that he'd ever admit it out loud.

**Mikey: Oooo! Raphie loves Tonya! Raphie loves Tonya!  
**

**Raph: Shut it, Mikey!  
**

**Mikey: Raph and Tonya sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love! Then comes marriage! Then comes...  
**

**Raph: Then comes my fist into yer face, Shell for Brains if ya don't drop it!  
**

**Leo: Admit it, Raph! You're in love.  
**

**Raph: Get off my shell, Leo! I ain't no mushy-gushy freak!  
**

**Don: But you were practically all over her in that hallway! Come on, Raph. You're at least attracted to her!  
**

**Raph: I ain't saying nothing!  
**

**Mikey: Raphie loves Tonya! Raphie loves Tonya!  
**

**Raph: Dat's it, Shell for Brains! Yer dead! *takes out his sais and chases Mikey*  
**

**Me: Hey. What'd I miss?  
**

**Leo: Raph's in love, but he won't admit it.  
**

**Me: It's Raph, remember? He won't admit to that openly.  
**

**Don: So...about my..._request_?  
**

**Me: Don, I swear...if you bug me about that ONE more time, I'm gonna...!  
**

**Don: OK. OK. Sheesh.  
**

**Me: Boys!  
**

**Leo: I'd say tell me about it, but I'm a guy.  
**

**Me: Damn it! Oh well. Ya can't have everything you want!  
**

**So, reviews are what feed my creativity, my readers, so use that little button at the bottom of the screen and review, review, review! I'll have the next chapter up soon! So, like I said, reviews please, starting...now! Happy reading!  
**

**-Livangel16  
**


	37. Chapter 37

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers who make this writer so happy: grapejuice101, White Fairy Writer pokemonjkl, flamedragon242, Kimmie98, Wingnut2.0., ninja-warrior101, RAHELA,and WolfAssassin369! You guys know you rule and that I hope to see more reviews from you until the end of this story! So, without further ado, I present the first of my next few chapters based on The Shredder Strikes Back, Parts 1 and 2 as well as Tales of Leo...with my own creative twists, of course! Enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**_  
_

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Samantha awoke in her bed the next morning feeling slightly irritated, the first time in months that this had happened. Still, it was Reading Week, and she was glad that she had an entire week off from school. Sighing, she slid out of bed and quickly brushed her teeth and washed her face in her bathroom before returning to sit at her vanity and work a brush through her hair. A few strands later, she slammed the brush down on the vanity and buried her face in her hands.

"Rough night?" she heard someone ask. Whipping around, she saw Leo standing at the open doors of her balcony. Behind him, the sky was overcast and gloomy, but he looked like an angel in the midst of a storm.

"You don't know the half of it," she answered, getting up from the vanity and heading towards him. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Can't a guy swing by his friend's house to say good morning?" Samantha smiled.

"Yeah. I'm sorry about being such a grump. It's just…last night was kind of…_rough_ for me."

"Bad dream?"

"No."

"You and Don had a fight or something?"

"Sort of."

"Look. I know it's none of my business, but if you ever have any problems, you can talk to me."

"Thanks."

"Hey. What are friends for? So…what'd you guys fight about?"

"Well…you're not gonna believe it, but…

* * *

_Flashback _

_Donatello landed lightly on the balcony, still carrying Samantha in his arms. Although Samantha had told him to stay behind and get some rest, that she could easily use her Amulet and get home, he'd insisted on taking her home himself. _

_"Ya know, Don, I could've jumped across rooftops myself," Samantha joked as he set her down on her feet. Truth be told, she was kind of glad that he'd carried her. The heels she was wearing were starting to kill her feet._

_"I know," Don replied, smiling. "But I wanted to carry my princess home myself."_

_"Is that what I am now? Your princess?"_

_"Yes. You're my beautiful, butt-kicking, intelligent, ninja princess." His arms came around her waist and he pulled her closer to him. "And I love you."_

_"I love you too, Don," she whispered before leaning in and kissing him lightly. He pulled back before she could deepen the kiss. She pulled back and looked puzzled as Don pulled away as well and rubbed his head, looking nervous._

_"Umm…there's this great Thai restaurant close to Times Square that I've been dying to try out," Don told her nervously, looking at his feet. "And, well you know, since we both like Thai food, I was wondering if you wanted to go and check it out this Friday night. With me. And we could get something to eat there."_

_"Donatello Lucius Hamato. Are you asking me to have dinner with you?" Samantha asked, smiling._

_"Well…you are my girlfriend. And we are a couple. Isn't that what couples do? Go out to restaurants and have dinner?" _

_"Yeah. Umm…I'd love to."_

_"Where's the "but" coming in?"_

_"Umm…there is none. That was the end of the sentence."_

_"Really? You'll go out to dinner with me?"_

_"Of course. And even if you **weren't** my boyfriend, you're too tempting to say "no" to."_

_"How tempting am I?" Don asked, smiling seductively and pulling the young woman back into his arms. She smirked._

_"More tempting than you'll ever know," she whispered in his ear before he captured her lips and scooped her up into his arms. The kiss was rough, hot and heated, and Samantha's mind was so enraptured with the kiss that she barely noticed that she was on her back on her bed until Don's weight rested on top of her, and she felt the softness of her comforter underneath her._

_"God, I want you Samantha!" Don growled, his voice saturated with lust and desire. It sounded rougher than usual, which made Samantha shiver. He sat back and pulled her up and close to him, kissing her fiercely, his tongue almost down her throat. She moaned and felt her hands tangle in his mask and her legs wrap around his waist and shell. Sam felt his hands slide up her back and then felt them fumbling with the zipper on her dress, finally succeeding and beginning to tug it down. She knew what would happen if they continued like this, and frankly, it was something that she didn't really feel she wanted to do for a while; a **LONG** while._

_"Don! Don, baby wait!" Samantha gasped, breaking away from him and zipping her dress back up. "I…I don't know if we should be doing this."_

_"What're you talking about?" Don panted, his desire flaming up again at the sight of his girlfriend's disheveled hair and swollen, red lips. _

_"We've only been going out for a month and a half," Samantha explained. "I just think it's…a little… **soon…** to be thinking about…sex, don't you?"_

_"Raphael and Paulina were having sex just three weeks into their relationship," Don countered. "Besides, if we really love each other, there's nothing wrong with showing it. Don't you love me?"_

_"Of course I do, Don!"_

_"Then what's the problem?" He started to kiss her again, his hands caressing her and sliding back up her back to the zipper of her dress._

_"Don! I…I don't believe in sex before marriage, alright?" That stopped Don dead in his tracks. He pulled away and slid off of the bed, his back to her. She couldn't see his face, but based off of what she'd seen in movies, he was probably upset or angry._

_"You're not angry, are you Donatello?" Samantha asked gently, sliding off the bed._

_"I have to go. See ya later, Sam!" Don said abruptly, and as fast as a lightning bolt, he darted out of her room and was gone before Samantha even reached the doors of her balcony. _

* * *

"So, lemme get this straight. You and Don argued about…?" Leo asked and let the last bit trail off, both of them knowing what he would've said.

"Yeah." Samantha looked down at the floor.

"It's always the quiet ones," Leo murmured.

"I don't know what to do!" Samantha said, frustrated. "I hate having him mad at me, but I don't want to go against my principles. And it's not because I don't love him or anything! I do! It's just…" Leo put a hand under her chin and tilted her head up so that she was looking right into his eyes.

"I understand, Samantha. Don's just being…well, a teenager. He obviously wasn't thinking straight last night. I'm pretty sure those were his hormones talking and not his genius brain. He'll get over this. You'll see."

"Thanks, Leo."

"No problem. What are friends for? Anyways, I'd better get going. I need to finish my training run while the city's still quiet."

"Mind having some company? I could use the run to clear my head."

"Usually, I wouldn't mind that, Samantha. But this morning, I'm doing this run solo." There was a rumble of thunder in the distance. "Besides, I wouldn't want you to get caught out in this weather. You'd get sick, and your genius boyfriend would kill me for it!"

"Like your girlfriend wouldn't kill me for letting her ninja turtle boyfriend catch a cold!"

"Well, my "girlfriend" as you so adamantly put it, also doesn't have the Foot searching for her Amulet, which happens to be the home of a powerful and dangerous demon bent on conquering the world, now does she?" Samantha scowled.

"I hate it when you use that line against me!" Leo chuckled before leaning in and giving Samantha a sweet kiss on the forehead. Despite herself, she felt her skin heat up. Why was it that Leo still had such an effect on her?

"I'm your Protector, Samantha. I want you to be safe. Now, get dressed and get your ninja butt over to April's place. When I get back there, I just wanna see you and Don happy and lovey-dovey as usual."

"OK. When you get back, we'll be making out on the couch right in front of you." Leo made a face.

"OK. Maybe not **that** lovey-dovey." Samantha laughed.

"Well, at least you're specific. So, is Makayla going to be getting the same visit from you this morning like I did?"

"I can't. I don't want to take the chance that the Foot are trailing me and bring them right to her door. I wanna keep her away from the dangers of my world as much as I can. "

"She's already a part of your world, Leonardo. You have to accept that sooner or later, the dangers of your world are gonna affect her, too."

"I know. But I just don't want to think about it right now. I'd better get going." He turned away and was about to go when Samantha seized his hand. He turned around and faced her, seeing the worried look on her face.

"Please. Be careful!" she pleaded. "I don't like this, Leo. If the Shredder's **really **gone, what are the Foot doing in the sewers? They'd be a headless mob right now without a leader! Something's not right!"

"Don't worry, _suiren_. I'll be careful."

"Why did you call me "water lily" in Japanese?"

"Because…your worry is making you delicate just like the water lily. And because you're just as lovely as one."

"Thanks." There was a silence between the two before Samantha threw herself into Leo's arms and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back before pulling away and heading back out onto the balcony.

"Be safe, my _bushi_." Leo smiled at her calling him her "warrior" and then vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Please. For the sake of your family, Makayla…and _mine_, Leonardo: _be safe_."

* * *

Samantha stood outside the door to Second Time Around, the hood of her black sweatshirt up over her head. Glancing around, she hurried inside, unaware of the two Foot ninjas on the roof across the street, watching her. Heading up the stairs, she knocked on the door and heard footsteps cross the floor towards the door. There was the scraping of a few bolts and the lock before the door opened and revealed the face of April O'Neil. Samantha quickly lowered her hood.

"Hey April!" she greeted cheerily.

"Hey Samantha!" April replied, opening the door wide and hugging the young girl. "Come on in. The guys woke up not long ago."

"I know. Leonardo paid me a visit. He's on a training run." Samantha stepped inside the apartment and saw Master Splinter and the other three Turtles materialize as if from nowhere.

"Very impressive," she chuckled, smirking.

"Glad to see we can impress ninja royalty, Princess," Raph said to her, his usual smirk plastered on his face. Mikey came rushing out of the kitchen and swept Samantha up in a huge hug.

"What's up Sammy?" he crowed, spinning her around.

"Mikey! Be careful!" Don chided as he nearly came close to knocking over a glass vase. Mikey placed the princess back on her feet.

"Hey, Sam," Don said to her.

"Hey." Mikey and Raph quickly exchanged glances. Don and Samantha were usually **never** this formal and distant from each other. Sure, she wouldn't jump on him and slam her tongue down his throat, but they would at least hug and look a lot…happier than this.

"Can we…talk in private?" Don asked her, looking quite uncomfortable.

"Sure," Sam replied, looking equally uncomfortable. Don led her out of the apartment and onto the stairs that led down to the store. Samantha leaned against the banister while Don leaned against the wall. Both of them were looking at the ground, intent on avoiding each other's eyes.

"I'm sorry!" they both blurted out. Their heads shot up and their eyes met. "Why are** you** sorry? I was the jerk!" Silence. Then, the two of them burst out laughing.

"Well, at least we agree on something," Don chuckled. Samantha smiled, and then saw Don's face grow serious.

"I'm sorry I got you angry last night, Don," she apologized.

"Why are **you** apologizing? I was the one that let my hormones overrule my head," Don countered, taking her face in his hands. "I wasn't angry last night, Samantha. Well, not at **you**. I was angry with myself, for trying to pressure you into something you didn't want to do, for being so irrational as to get swept up in the moment and forget that there could be repercussions to my actions. I…"

"It's alright, Don. I forgive you." She smirked. "Besides, I'm pretty irresistible, so I can't completely blame you for getting swept up in the moment." Don rolled his eyes playfully.

"You are **so** vain, my _kamisama._" Samantha couldn't believe her ears.

"Your "goddess"?" Don nodded and then gently pressed his mouth to hers. She threw her arms around his neck and threw herself into the kiss with a little more enthusiasm than Don was expecting. His shell hit the wall, and his arms were around his girlfriend almost instantly.

"HA! Told ya they'd make up, Raph!" a voice crowed in triumph. Don and Sam broke apart to see Mikey and Raph standing on the landing, smirking at them.

"Alright, Shell for Brains! Quit yer bragging!" Raph snapped.

"Come on, you two! Breakfast is almost ready!" Mikey informed them. "I cooked it, Sammy! You're gonna **love** it!"

"Is something burning?" Samantha inquired as the light smell of smoke filled the air around her. Mikey screamed and then hurried back inside. Raph groaned and clapped a hand over his eyes. Don gestured for the ninja princess to head up first and she did. She walked back inside and saw a thin cloud of black smoke coming from the kitchen.

"Mikey!" she heard April cry.

"Don't worry about it, April! I've got everything under control!" Mikey replied. The redhead came out of the kitchen, coughing slightly and waving a hand in front of her face.

"So…how's everything going, April?" Samantha asked.

"I feel as though I've gone from "happily single" to "mother of four" overnight," April answered.

"Tell me about it," Master Splinter seconded from his spot behind the newspaper. He lowered the paper and then looked at Samantha, who bowed. "And good morning to you, Princess Bushido-san."

"Good morning, Sensei," Sam replied going over and sitting down next to the rat master. "I hope you slept well."

"Yes, I did, after the two-hour special of my "stories"," Master Splinter replied. "The plot has gotten quite interesting. As I am sure you know, love is full of ups and downs, Princess Bushido-san. You and Donatello have, as you kids would say, "kissed and made up"."

"Emphasis on the "kiss" part," Raph snickered. Samantha shot the hotheaded turtle a glare that made him snicker even more before turning the TV on to a wrestling match.

"Breakfast is served!" Mikey called from the kitchen. On the plates on the table were what looked like scrambled eggs and blackened toast slices. That must have been what Sam had smelled earlier burning. She looked at April and smiled sympathetically at the redheaded woman, who was almost like the older sister she'd never had.

"I ate a huge breakfast before I came, Mikey, so I'm good," Sam said, smiling. The others sat down and began chowing down.

"Where's Leo? He should've been back by now!" Mikey said, shoveling down a forkful of eggs. Just then, a clap of thunder echoed across the skies.

"He's gonna get soaked," Don added as the rain began pouring down from the sky in buckets.

"And Makayla will kill me if he gets sick," Samantha jumped in, walking over to the window and gazing out it as a flash of lightning lit up the sky. Leo would have to be crazy to stay outside in this weather.

Hours seemed to pass by as the storm only intensified and the rain poured down harder. Samantha tried to busy herself with beating Mikey at video games, watching wrestling with Raph and debating politics between her, Don and April. Anything to keep her mind off the Fearless leader of the group, but the entire time, the young princess had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that all was not well. Raph had insisted on going out to look for him, but Master Splinter forbade it each time. Now, Don, Mikey, Sam and Raph were gathered around the clock. It was well into the evening, soon to be nightfall, and the blue bandana turtle had yet to come home.

"Leo should've been back hours ago," Don observed. Suddenly, something in Samantha's mind seemed to light up like fireworks. Images flashed before her eyes so quickly that she could barely see them clearly while a desperate yell of despair echoed in her mind along with what sounded like the clanging of swords in battle. Then, they were gone. She gave a groan of pain and fell to the floor, clutching her head. Don was by her side in an instant along with Master Splinter.

"Samantha, are you OK?" Don asked as he helped her up.

"I…I…I think so," she groaned, holding her head. Don kept a firm grip on her in case she relapsed and Master Splinter seemed concerned as he saw the Amulet glowing once again.

"What did you see, Princess Bushido-san?" Master Splinter asked urgently.

"I…I heard someone yelling, swords clanging, metal snapping," Samantha rambled. "I…I saw rain, and a figure, injured." Master Splinter's face turned grave.

"Dat's it! I'm going out dere to look for him!" Raph shouted.

"Master Splinter?" Don prodded the elderly rat. He sighed heavily.

"Go," he told the four ninjas.

"Where do we start looking?" Mikey asked.

"I don't know, but let's go," Raph replied. But before anyone could move another inch, with a shout of despair, Leo came crashing through the glass window of April's apartment and landed, shell-first on the floor surrounded by broken glass, battered and bruised from head to toe. Everyone gasped in horror.

"Leo! Leo!" Don shouted as he, Sam, Raph and Mikey hurried over to Leo. Sam flung herself down beside him and quickly seized his wrist. There was still a pulse. It was weak, but at least it was still there. He was drifting in and out of consciousness, his eyes fluttering as he groaned in pain. Samantha felt the tears coming and wiped away with the back of her hand before gritting her teeth.

"Who did this to ya?" Raph demanded.

"I don't know, but they just made the **BIGGEST** mistake of their lives!" Samantha growled, unsheathing her wakizashi and heading for the destroyed window. Raphael followed in her wake, but before either of them could leap out and unleash their fury on the people who'd done this to someone they cared about, a weak voice stopped them.

"Raph. Samantha. Wait," they heard Leo said in a whisper. Both of them whipped around and saw Leo, his head cradled in Don's lap reaching out a hand to them. Samantha hurried back to his side and knelt down, gripping her hand in his.

"Tell me who did this to you, _bushi,_" she whispered to him. He was barely able to move his hand to her cheek, but he managed and then delivered a horrifying message.

"He's…back. The…Shredder," Leo managed to gasp out before falling unconscious again. Everyone in the room exchanged horrific looks and glances. Samantha stood up and moved away from Leonardo as if he had some sort of contagious disease. The Shredder? Still alive? It couldn't be.

"What did he just say?" April asked the others in fear.

"He said the Shredder's back!" Mikey repeated, sounding terrified.

"No! It can't be! That's…impossible!" Samantha shouted, slamming her fists against the wall.

"She's right! There's no way! We were all there! We all saw what happened that night on the roof!" Raph reminded them, staring out the broken window as the wind howled. "I saw Master Splinter and Samantha take out the Shredder myself!"

"There's no way any human could've survived that," Don seconded grimly.

"But we're not dealing with **any** human! This is the Shredder!" Raph snapped.

"When I get my hands on him…!" Samantha growled. Don quickly placed his hands on her shoulders to calm her down.

"If you read comic books, you'd know: the bad guy **always** comes back! ALWAYS!" Mikey informed them, terrified. He gazed out the broken window, his hands clasped tightly under his chin.

"We need to get Leo out of here!" April told them.

"She is right," Master Splinter agreed. "We cannot stay here any longer! We must leave NOW!"

"Uh , guys? We've got company!" Mikey warned everyone. Samantha glanced out the window and saw a legion of Foot ninjas on the rooftops in front of the entire apartment. "So, what's the plan? Leo's the one with a plan! So what are we gonna do without Leo to come up with a plan?"

"No time for a plan!" Raph growled, taking out his sais.

"Why not?" Mikey asked. Just then, Foot ninjas began bursting through the windows. Mikey screamed as more and more poured in through the windows of the kitchen and living room.

"Master Splinter, you and April grab Leo! We'll cover you!" Don shouted as he leapt in and began fighting off the Foot ninjas. April quickly slung Leo's arm around her shoulders and, with Master Splinter's help, she and he hauled him up from the ground. Leo leaned on her for support and slowly, they started across the apartment for the door. Samantha was slashing through Foot ninjas left and right, clearing the way for April and Leo to get to the stairs and down to the shop.

"Guys, he's getting worse!" April shouted to the others. When Samantha heard that and saw that Leo was indeed looking worse and worse by the minute, something inside of her snapped. She grabbed a fallen Foot ninja by his front and brought their faces so close, they were almost nose-to-nose.

"Tell you excuse of a boss that when I get my hands on him, he's gonna friggin' wish he stayed inside that wooden grave I made for him by the time I'm done kicking the shell out of his sorry, metal behind!" Samantha snarled before picking him up and throwing him across the room and into two more advancing Foot ninjas, sending the three of them crashing through the smashed window and into the alley below. Her anger was beyond containable, and as she continued to fight, her vision was turning redder and redder. She slashed two more ninjas out of the way and landed beside April and Leo, her head beginning to throb.

"You OK, Samantha?" April asked.

"Fine! Just need a couple of seconds to calm down!" she replied, gritting her teeth and slowing her breathing. "We don't need the _tengu_ acting up right now! Let me help you with Leo!"

"Samantha! I…can…walk!" Leo groaned out, trying to stand on his own.

"Could've fooled me!" Samantha replied, sheathing her sword and helping to support the other side of the ninja turtle. She made sure that his other arm was around her neck. He was heavy, but that was only because he didn't want to lean on them.

"Come on, Leo! Lean on us!" April told him.

"April… leave me! Take…Samantha! Get… away…if you can! This…is our fight! Not…yours!" Leo gritted out.

"Are you insane?" Sam snapped.

"Not my fight?" April repeated in shock and anger. "Look Leo, we're all family now. I could never run out on you! Now, c'mon! Let's go!" They continued to the door of the apartment and finally managed to get it open…only to come face-to-face with a horde of Foot ninjas. Leo kicked the door shut again and Samantha felt his weight beginning to take its toll on her. Just then, the Foot ninjas burst through the door and swarmed into the apartment.

"April, hold on to him tight! This could get a little messy!" Samantha declared as she closed her eyes and spread her arms wide. She felt her feet leave the ground and knew that she was tapping into the _tengu's_ powers. She opened her eyes, but this time, everything was red. She could feel the creature desperately trying to get a hold on her, but she fought back every evil thought that echoed in her mind. _Call upon the winds of the storm!_ the same voice from the cavern told her.

"Winds of the storm! Heed my command!" she shouted. Just then, huge gusts of wind like those of a hurricane came whistling into the apartment, blowing and scattering objects to and fro. Directing her arm at the various groups of Foot Ninjas, large gusts of wind managed to knock them to the ground, threw them into the walls or blew them right out of the apartment. She directed her arm at the staircase and strong, hurricane-force winds swirled from behind her and knocked out every Foot soldier there. Samantha floated back down, and the moment her feet touched the ground, her head throbbed with undiluted pain. Stumbling, she managed to catch herself before she fell flat on her face.

"We're clear!" Sam shouted to the Turtles and Master Splinter.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Turtles and rats! Run, do not walk, to the nearest exit!" Mikey shouted as he pointed to the open door.

"Raph! This bus is leaving!" Sam heard Don shout before he and she took off with Mikey close behind them. Leo, April and Master Splinter came down the stairs slowly next with Raphael holding off the Foot ninjas at the rear.

"Be alert, my sons," Master Splinter warned. "The shop is our only exit. And they know it." Mikey gulped loudly.

"Make yourself useful," Don told him, giving him a slight push. "Go and scope out the shop." Mikey gulped again and then headed down the stairs and towards the shop.

"How's he doing?" Samantha inquired.

"Still bad," April answered shortly, adjusting her hold on him. Samantha looked at Leonardo, battered and bruised and bit her lip so hard that she tasted blood in her mouth. She ignored it because she was going to make damn sure that the Shredder got to taste **his** own blood for doing this to Leo. April, sensing the young woman's anger, placed a sisterly hand on Sam's shoulder. It calmed her down slightly. Sam turned and saw April giving her a look that read, _We're gonna get through this!_ Samantha smiled. Just then, Mikey came running back up the stairs as if a swarm of bees was chasing him.

"Wrong way, Mikey!" Don told him.

"Wrong way my foot!" Mikey countered. Then, with a glare from Samantha, he relented and then continued. "Poor choice of words! Major ambush down there!"

"Damn it!" Samantha growled.

"We don't have a choice! They're pouring in through the windows upstairs!" Don reminded him. Just then, Raph came into view, his sais locked with a wakizashi.

"Hey! What's the story down there?" he hollered to Don and Mikey.

"There's some seriously mean-looking dudes in the shop!" Mikey shouted back up.

"Mean-looking? Duh!" Don scoffed, pushing past him and hurrying down into the shop with Samantha close on his heels. Mikey followed them down into the shop. Samantha and Don leaped in, weapons unsheathed and ready for a fight when they saw four, muscular, lethally armed men wearing the garments of the Shredder standing in the shop, their weapons unsheathed and looking deadly. On top of their heads, they each wore a straw hat with a pointed top.

"Nice hats," Don and Samantha said before the double-headed axe that one of them held was thrown at them. The two ninjas managed to dodge it, but Samantha almost missed it the second time as it doubled back, twirling lethally in the air and landing back in the hands of its owner.

"Those moves! I've seen them before!" Samantha gasped. Just then, one of them threw a sharp spear at Donatello, who managed to dodge it before it lodged itself in the wall inches from where he'd been before.

"Raphie! We've got trouble down here!" Don called up to his older brother.

"Like I don't got trouble up here!" Raph growled back as he battled more Foot ninjas. Master Splinter quickly entered the shop.

"The Shredder's Elite Guard!" Master Splinter said in horror.

"Oh damn it! The Shredder's Elite Guard are the deadliest of his warriors!" Samantha breathed as she took out her wakizashi and prepared for battle.

"Lethal assassins!" Master Splinter added, holding up his paw, which signaled for April not to bring the injured Leo into the store.

"Raph! The guys and Samantha ran into something bad in the shop!" April shouted up to him.

"Like I don't got my hands full up here!" Raph hollered back to her. Just then, Master Splinter ran up the stairs and punched out another Foot ninja.

"Go! Assist your brothers and Princess Bushido-san!" he instructed. "I will protect Leonardo!" Raph quickly hurried down the stairs and leapt over April and Leo, running the shop and stopping quickly when he saw the Elite Guard standing there, armed for battle.

"Whoa! Nice hats!" Raph commented.

"Yeah. That's what we thought, too," Mikey seconded.

"Say what you will about the Foot, but they do **not** skimp on the headgear!" Don added.

"Guys! I love fashion as much as the next girl, but in case you've forgotten, these guys are **seriously dangerous**!" Samantha shouted. That seemed to bring everyone back to reality.

"So we gonna do this or what?" Raph asked. Everyone nodded as they all charged forward, meeting the Elite Guard. Samantha was battling the one with the_ narigata,_ the more lethal cousin of Don's bo staff.

"You are very good, young Bushido," he said to her as he leapt up from being tripped by her. "It is too bad that you did not join us when you had the opportunity! You would have been a valuable asset!"

"An asset to your murdering master is something I'll **never** become!" Samantha roared, striking out hard. Feeling a powerful surge from the _tengu_, she stumbled back and only just managed to dodge an attack that would've swept her head clean off her shoulders.

"Leo!" she heard Mikey shout before he was pulled back inside the store. Kicking the Elite Guard member with the _narigata _down, she sprinted out into the hallway and saw Hun holding Leo by the shell. April smashed a pot into his face.

"Put him down!" she yelled at him. Samantha saw Hun smile cruelly and knew she had to act fast.

"As you wish," he replied, but before he could throw Leo, Sam flung a shuriken and it struck Hun hard in the hand that held Leo. He howled in pain and he quickly dropped the injured mutant turtle to the ground.

"Keep away from my family, you overstuffed gorilla!" she growled before leaping into the air and landed a hard kick to Hun's bruised face, sending him stumbling backwards. The giant of a man turned and saw the Bushido girl standing there, her sword out, her teeth gritted. His eyes narrowed.

"April, get Leo and get to cover!" she shouted over her shoulder. "Leave this no-good punk to me!" Samantha lunged at him and managed to land a few good sword strokes in when another wave of the _tengu's_power hit her again, only harder. She stumbled back, sheathing her sword and clutching her head. Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted into the air and turned upside down. Hun had her by the leg and smashed her into the doorposts of the door between the store and the apartment a few times before throwing her across the room and into a metal beam. Leo followed after her, landing right on top of her.

"Leo! Princess!" Raph yelled as he hauled his brother up into a sitting position. Don and Mikey were there almost instantly to take over from Raph, who kicked Hun hard and sent him stumbling back into the darkness. April quickly shut the door.

"Samantha! Are you alright?"she shouted as Don and Mikey helped the injured princess up. Samantha felt something wet on her skin close to her head. She put up a hand and touched it, her fingers coming away covered in her own blood.

"You're bleeding," Don gasped, picking up a torn piece of one of the Elite's clothing and dabbing at the cut. Samantha gently brushed his hand away.

"I'll be fine Don," she gritted out. Her sides were killing her, but she managed to kneel down beside Leo, who looked worse for wear now. "It's your brother I'm worried about." The other Turtles gathered around their injured brother. Samantha gently caressed his cheeks with her hands and gritted her teeth again to keep from going back upstairs and slicing all the Foot ninjas she found to pieces. Leonardo was getting worse now, and if they didn't get out of here soon…she didn't even want to think about what would happen.

Just then, the Elite Guard reappeared in a cloud of mist at the sides of the entrance to the store. Suddenly, the door was kicked in and an all-too-familiar figure walked into the store.

"Oh crud!" Raph grumbled, holding his sais ready for a fight.

"It's really him! Like Leo said!" Mikey gasped as the lightning flashed across the sky outside to reveal the Shredder, alive and looking as dangerous as ever. Everyone grouped around Leo, and Samantha stood at the forefront of the brothers, staring down their enemy. His red eyes met hers. She whipped out her wakizashi, pointing the blade directly at the Shredder.

_You're going to regret ever getting out of that grave I put you in, Shredder!_ she thought to herself. She closed her eyes, praying for strength to fight her father's murderer and finally avenge him. When she opened her eyes again, the world before her was a deadly shade of red.

**Don: *slaps me in the head hard***

**Me: Ow! What was that for?  
**

**Don: That's for injuring my girlfriend!  
**

**Raph: *slaps me in the head harder*  
**

**Me: Ouch! Raph! What the heck?  
**

**Raph: Dat's for injuring our brother!  
**

**Mikey: *slaps me in the head even harder*  
**

**Me: Geez, Mikey! What'd I do to _you_?  
**

**Mikey: That's for bringing the Shredder back when you know we barely survive against him the last time!  
**

**Me: OK. The first smack I can understand! But the other two...don't you guys read the disclaimer? _I_ didn't make this plotline for The Shredder Strikes Back, got it? If anyone should be getting smacked, it should be Eastman and Laird!  
**

**Mikey: But they're the guys who created us!  
**

**Raph: Yeah. *slaps me in the head*  
**

**Me: Sheesh! Now what'd I do?  
**

**Don: That's for telling us to smack the people who gave us our existence!  
**

**Me: I didn't tell you to smack the Utroms!  
**

**Mikey: *smacks me in the head again*  
**

**Me: OUCH! What'd I do NOW?  
**

**Mikey: Nothing. I just wanted you to see how I feel every time they smack me in the head.  
**

**Me: Well, it's awful Mikey. I didn't know. I'll never make them do it to you again.  
**

**Mikey: Really?  
**

**Me: Really. Now, go help Leo before Shredder gets his hands on him. *Mikey dashes off* *I reveal crossed fingers to the audience* Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention to Mikey that I have a bit of a bad habit called "lying".  
**

**So, reviews are what feed my creativity, my readers, so use that little button at the bottom of the screen and review, review, review! I'll have the next chapter up soon! So, like I said, reviews please, starting...now! Happy reading!  
**

**-Livangel16  
**


	38. Chapter 38

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers who make this writer so happy: grapejuice101, pokemonjkl, flamedragon242, Kimmie98, honkytonk-babe3, bell-13-tmnt-lover, Wingnut2.0., ninja-warrior101, RAHELA,and WolfAssassin369! You guys know you rule and that I hope to see more reviews from you until the end of this story! So, here's the next chapter that's based on The Shredder Strikes Back, Parts 1 and 2 as well as Tales of Leo...with some nice twists created by yours truly! Enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**_  
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Chapter Thirty-Eight

The Shredder walked further into the antique shop and stood before the four Turtles and Samantha, his armor gleaming in the light. Samantha, her sword pointed at the monster who'd killed her father, was firm and kept the others behind her, signaling to the Shredder that if he wished to destroy Leonardo and his family, he'd have to go through **her** first. The _tengu_ was acting up like crazy now, its evil impulses coursing through Samantha's being. It was taking everything she had to fend the creature off in the presence of its master and from the internal anger that was bubbling inside her when she glanced again at Leonardo. Everything in her vision was red now, as if her eyes were covered in blood. Seeing him through her altered vision only enraged her further.

"You freaks and this palace brat have been a thorn in my side far too long!" the Shredder growled. Just then, Master Splinter landed in front of Samantha, narrowing his eyes at the Shredder, walking stick in hand. The Shredder roared at the sight of the rat.

"**No one **opposes the Shredder!" the metal-armored man growled. "And now I will have my revenge for our last encounter! Say farewell to each other…while you still can!"

"Oh yeah, Mr. Spiky-Pants?!" Well, you're the one who should be saying farewell to…uh… to yourself!" Mikey threw back.

"Oh yeah, Mikey. That got him," Raph snorted.

"Hey! I'm under a lot of pressure here!" Mikey retorted.

"The only revenge that will be had this day is mine, Shredder!" Samantha growled. "I vowed to my father that he would be avenged, that his cowardly, pathetic murderer would be slain, and that's exactly what I plan to do!"

"SILENCE!" the Shredder roared ferociously.

"This attack is nothing more than a cowardly gambit!" Master Splinter snapped. "Wearing us down by sheer numbers?! It is not the way of the **true **warrior!"

"Guys, I say we shred his butt once and for all! For Leo!" Raph shouted, twirling his sais. "Ya with me?!"

"You know it, Raph!" Samantha declared, slicing the air with her sword.

"'Til the end!" Don seconded, twirling his bo staff.

"Which hopefully won't be anytime soon. Right?" Mikey added, twirling his nunchucks. With that, the four ninjas leapt forward and attacked. Mikey, Raph and Don were taken out by Shredder in a few moves, but he was getting a more prolonged and difficult fight from Samantha.

"How did you find us?" Samantha demanded as her sword clashed with Shredder's claw.

"A tracking spell that would identify the whereabouts of what is rightfully mine: The Amulet of Bushido!" Shredder growled, swiping at her. The claw missed, and the young ninja princess went in for another attack.

"The Amulet is not yours! And it never will be!" Samantha declared boldly, blocking another attack and meeting the Shredder's claw with her sword.

"It's because of you why I found these Turtles and their rodent master," the Shredder told her. "It's because of you why Leonardo is lying there, injured and broken. You can't even protect them now! Just like you couldn't protect your father!"

"That's not true! **You** were the one who murdered him!"

"But you were there! Why didn't you stop me?! Because you were too weak! Your father looked into your eyes before he died, didn't he?! To tell how much of a failure you were to him when he took his last breath!"

"You wretched, evil…!" she began to snarl, but she once again felt the _tengu's_ evil sweeping through her body and she fell to the ground, clutching her head. Don could've sworn that her fingernails had become claw-like, and that when she cried out, her teeth were sharp and pointed. Her vision was switching rapidly between red and normal, and she barely saw the Shredder's foot coming until she was flying across the store and slammed into the wall hard, landing on the ground.

"Samantha!" Don cried before he was slammed to the ground as well beside his girlfriend. Mikey and Raph followed not long after him.

"Finish those reptiles off! Leave the rodent to me! But leave the girl alive! I will extract what I need from her before I destroy her!" the Shredder ordered. Samantha could barely get up to defend herself as the Elite Guard advanced on them. Suddenly, there was the shattering of glass and she saw a figure on a motorcycle soar into the shop. Revving the engine, he soared towards the Elite Guard, skidding to the side and sending three of them tumbling to the street outside. The four one jumped on his motorcycle, but the figure slammed on the brakes, causing the Guard to go flying into a cabinet. Stepping off the motorcycle, the figure removed the hood over his head.

"Now dat's what I call crashing a party!" Casey Jones shouted from underneath his vigilante hockey mask.

"Casey!" Raph yelled with joy as he stood up and saw his best friend.

"Though I ain't ever seen a lamer party in my life!" Casey declared, whacking the Elite Guard out of the way with a baseball bat. "Where's de band?!" He stopped in front of April, who was sheltering Leo. "You OK, babe?"

"**Don't** call me babe," she told him. Samantha smiled despite the gravity of the situation. Casey. What a flirt. The Shredder looked beyond furious as he took in Casey defeating his Elite Guard.

"Obliterate him!" the Shredder commanded.

"**Dis **can't be the band! I want rock 'n roll!" Casey said as Foot ninjas came and surrounded them. He took out his two hockey sticks and twirled them in his hands. "Good thing I brought my own drumsticks. Now, **who** wants to be the drums?!" The Foot ninjas surged forward.

"Goongola! Goongola!" Casey cried as he leapt into battle with Master Splinter, Samantha and the three Turtles behind him. Samantha had slammed a Foot ninja when she saw Hun cracking his knuckles and standing over April and Leo. Gritting her teeth, she ran over and jumped in the air before landing a kick that sent Hun sprawling to the floor. She'd guessed that Hun's target was April, but even if she wasn't, that creep was not touching Leo a second time while Samantha was still breathing.

"Keep your disgusting paws **off** my sister, Hun!" she snarled fiercely. The giant man turned and snarled when he saw that the young Bushido girl had once again interfered in his plans.

"Ya never learn, do ya kid?!" Hun snarled before launching himself at her. Samantha waited and waited before ducking at the last second and then swiping his feet out from under him. He went sailing into a suit of armor. Samantha quickly hurried over and helped out Don with one of the Elite Guard members, but this battle, even with help from Casey, was not turning in their favor.

"Guys, look!" Raph yelled. Samantha's head quickly whipped up and her eyes immediately went to Leo. Her blood almost froze to ice in her veins.

"Leo!" Mikey shouted as the Foot Ninjas surrounded him and April. He was trying to get up, to stand and fight, but he sank back down and was suddenly at the mercy of the Shredder, who was standing over him, his metal claw raised in the air. Samantha's mind immediately replayed the flashback of her father's murder, her father gazing up in the same manner at the Shredder. The world before the young woman once again went red, and in the blink of an eye, she was flying through the air and landed in front of Leo, catching the fatal blow before it could even touch her Protector.

"How dare you strike an injured warrior!" Samantha growled, holding the sword at bay with all the strength she had left. "You have no honor!" Just then, the strongest pulse of the _tengu's_ energy flowed through her body, causing Samantha's head to throb with the most pain she'd ever felt in her life.

"I fight to win!" the Shredder snarled before speedily kicking the sword out of Samantha's hand and piercing through the material of her battle suit with his metal claw, the blade sinking into her shoulder.

"Samantha!" Leo cried, watching as Shredder's claw was pulled out of the young girl's shoulder and she stumbled back, blood pouring through her fingers. Just then, Hun appeared behind the girl and seized her by the hair. She could barely fight back, and Hun twirled her around a few times before releasing her with all his strength at a fast speed. Samantha went sailing through two cabinets and then smashed into the brick wall, dropping to the floor, unmoving and bleeding.

"SAM!" Don screamed, kicking the Elite Guard away and rushing to his girlfriend's side, only to be knocked away by the Shredder, who was advancing on the unarmed, unconscious girl.

"Princess! NO!" Raph shouted, desperately trying to fight his way to save Samantha. Just then, Leo, with all the strength he had left, ran and shoved a cabinet filled with antiquities in-between the Shredder and the unconscious Samantha. Then, he fell backwards, sinking back into unconsciousness as April caught him before he hit the floor.

"Leonardo! Princess Bushido-san!" Splinter whispered, tears filling his eyes at the sight of his eldest son and the young woman who was so much like a daughter to him battered and seriously injured. Then, he looked around and saw that his other sons could not fight for much longer before being overwhelmed. "No! I will not allow you to destroy my family!" Splinter snarled, pointing at Shredder. "My sons: grab Princess Bushido-san and retreat!" Splinter declared before he kicked a cabinet over on to Shredder, burying him underneath the wood temporarily.

"You've got it, Sensei!" Don shouted, batting two Foot Ninjas out of the way and rushing over to his girlfriend. His heart tightened in his chest at the sight of the blood that was pouring down her face and the bruises on her face and neck. Wooden splinters had torn her battle suit in places and were buried in her hair and scalp. The ugly wound caused by the Shredder's claw was what pained Don the most. That and the fact that he'd been so useless in defending the woman he loved. He quickly scooped her into his arms, bridal style, and then backed away with Master Splinter.

"But where do we retreat to?!" Raph asked, before locking blades with another Foot ninja.

"Back here!" April shouted, pointing to a silver door in the back of the shop.

"You got it!" Mikey shouted, leaping towards the door and opening it. He quickly turned on a light and saw that it was some sort of old storage unit. "Everybody, in here! We can hold them off!" April and Master Splinter quickly dragged Leonardo into the room while Don hurried over, Samantha cradled in his arms. Raph and Casey held off the Foot ninjas and then ran into the room. Mikey quickly shut the door and then locked it.

"Well, dis is great! Small, dark and no way out!" Raph growled, sheathing his sais. "Perfect fer making our last stand!"

"It's a walk-in cooler," April explained from her place beside Leo. "This shop used to be a grocery store once upon a time."

"Fascinating," Raph said offhandedly.

"How's Sammy doing, Donny?" Mikey asked as Don shifted his body a little to adjust to his hold on Samantha.

"I don't know Mikey. But it looks bad," Don replied silently, his eyes riveted to the bruised, bloodstained face of his girlfriend. He felt a tear roll down his cheek and did nothing to brush it away as it bubbled under his chin and then dripped onto her face.

* * *

Outside the door, the Foot ninjas were desperately trying to open the door of the walk-in cooler, but there was nothing they could do about it. It was locked from the inside. The Shredder approached the door, but then, the wail of sirens could be heard, and Shredder saw police cruisers pulling up outside the store. His anger boiled over at not having gained the Amulet, his ticket to world domination. But he could satiate that anger another way.

"Foot Ninjas! Disappear!" he commanded. The ninjas nodded and then disappeared from sight.

"If I cannot have the Amulet of Bushido, then NO ONE shall have it!" the Shredder snarled. Picking up a wide piece of metal, he slid it through the door handle and the gas pipes nearby. Then, he took out a small device, pressed a red button on it and threw it to the ground, flames bursting forth from it.

"Like the Phoenix, I have risen from the ashes!" the Shredder declared, slicing through the gas pipe with his metal claw. "And into my fire, you shall fall!" Then, he walked straight through the growing flames of the fire and disappeared into the night, unseen by anyone.

* * *

Back inside the walk-in cooler, there was deathly silence as they all waited for the Foot to come bursting in and finish them all off.

"Kinda quiet out there," Mikey told everyone. "Ya think they all just…went home?"

"Yeah! We scared 'em off by running into a closet and locking the door!" Raph agreed, the sarcasm in his voice clear to all. Then, he sniffed the air several times. "I smell smoke."

"I smell gas," Don informed them after sniffing the air too.

"Mikey!" Raph scolded. Mikey shrugged and looked sheepish.

"Not **that** kind of gas!" Don corrected.

"Hey! This door's getting hot!" Mikey observed, pressing his hand against the metal of the door. He tried to push it open, but it wouldn't budge. "It's jammed. It won't open!"

"Gas plus flame equals…!" Casey began, but then he and Raph exchanged horrified looks as they both knew what the sum of the equation was. "Let's book!"

"We gotta get outta here!" Raph shouted as he, Mikey and Casey all tried to pry the door loose. Just then, flames leapt up from under the door and everyone moved back. Don quickly handed Sam to Casey and then helped Master Splinter with Leo.

"Trapped like rats!" Mikey said. Then, he looked back at Master Splinter. "No offense, Sensei!"

"Leo's in really bad shape!"Don shouted. "We have to get him and Samantha out of here!"

"Working on it!" Raph yelled back, pounding the metal door with his sais. Just then, April began pushing some of the stuff near the back.

"What're ya doing?" Casey inquired.

"I remember when we first moved in, there was a hole in the wall where a cooling unit was removed," April replied, shoving the stuff out of the way and revealing a metal covering. Raph quickly pried it out with his sais and then quickly surveyed the area.

"That's it! Everyone out! Move! Move! Move!" Raph shouted. Everyone quickly got out and backed away as far as possible just moments before the store exploded in a great ball of flames. The building burned to the ground, flames tearing through the place. The three turtles, their rat master, April and Casey watched in horror as the Second Time Around antique shop was devoured by greedy flames that would've devoured them just as hungrily had they not escaped.

But no one noticed that Samantha had come to in Casey's arms and had seen the explosion rip through April's store and apartment. She heard the sobs of the young woman who'd become the older sister she'd never have, and felt nothing but pure guilt flood through her

Donatello and Mikey were holding Leonardo between them while Samantha lay in Casey Jones's arms. April buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Donatello looked from her to the unconscious ninja princess. His heart felt like someone had just stuck a knife into it. This was all his fault. Because of his weakness, the Shredder had nearly killed her right in front of them all. Leonardo had saved her…but it had cost him whatever strength he'd had left. Now, two of the most important people in Don's life were unconscious, maybe even dying, all because of him.

"Forgive me, Ms. O'Neil. But we must leave the past behind us if we are to have a future," Master Splinter told her. "Leonardo and Samantha are badly injured and need a safe place to heal."

"What about the Lair?" Michelangelo questioned.

"Shredder's got a whole ninja army down in the sewers, remember?" Don reminded him, shifting slightly to adjust his hold on Leo. "We'd never reach the Lair undetected. And we're in no shape to fight."

"Hey! We don't run from nobody!" Raph declared, socking his fist into his hand. "What about Sam's place?"

"Are you crazy, Raph?!" Don demanded. "He almost _killed_ her here at April's place! Do you really think that he'd stop short at attacking her in her own home?!"

"Sorry. It was just a suggestion," Raph grumbled.

"Well, it was a bad one!" Don fired back fiercely.

"Donatello is right," Master Splinter jumped in. "We must leave the city."

"But…where can we go?" April inquired. Just then, Casey's face lit up with an idea.

"Fellas, I know just the place."

* * *

Driving Casey's pick-up truck to Northampton, Casey and April were at the front while in the trailer attached to it, the four Turtles and their rat master were riding along. Samantha lay unconscious in the arms of Michelangelo. Leonardo was covered under a blanket, his head resting in Master Splinter's lap. Donatello and Raphael sat nearby, both of them trying to keep from shivering.

"Man! It sucks being cold-blooded!" Mikey observed, shivering slightly. Samantha's warm body was a blessing for the reptilian ninja.

"What are **you** complaining about?!" Raph scoffed. "Ya got the warm-blooded person right next to ya!"

"In case you haven't noticed, she's unconscious, Raph!" Mikey shot back.

"What's dat got to do with anything, Shell for Brains?!"

"Enough you two!" Don snapped irritably. Mikey and Raph looked at each other in shock. Don usually never raised his voice at anyone, let alone them. He'd been losing his cool a lot more than usual, especially after that huge hit that Samantha had taken during the battle. It was almost like he was taking her serious injuries during their fight with the Shredder personally. To avoid further questioning, Don turned to Master Splinter.

"Will he ever wake up, Master Splinter?" Don asked, looking at his bruised and battered brother. The elderly rat sighed and replied, "Only time will tell." But from the look in his son's eyes and the anger in his son's voice earlier towards his brothers, Master Splinter knew that it wasn't just Leonardo that Donatello was worried about.

* * *

_There was a bright light ahead of her. She'd always been told to run from the light should it ever appear. But the darkness was attacking her from all sides, so Samantha ran towards the light. However, the light was soon partially obscured by a hooded figure. It looked familiar, and when she stepped closer, she saw a familiar figure before her._

_"Princess Samantha-san!" it exclaimed._

_"Yoshi? Wha…what're you doing here? And where is here?" Samantha inquired._

_"We are within your mind, young friend," he answered. _

_"Yoshi. Am I…?"_

_"Dead? Far from it, young princess. You have been injured quite badly, but are still very much alive thanks to the Turtles."_

_The Turtles. Suddenly, it all came rushing back to her: Leonardo flying through the window battered and broken, the Foot Ninja and Shredder's Elite attacking them from all sides, and the Shredder. His taunts still rang fresh in her ears, piercing her soul like his claw had pierced her shoulder._

_"What are **you** doing here though, Yoshi?" Samantha asked. "Are you neglecting your duties at the palace to come and talk to me?"_

_"My first duty is to you, Samantha," he told her firmly. "Your father made me swear that if anything should happen to him, that I would watch over you and look out for you. And as for the palace…" Yoshi bowed his head and looked sorrowful which immediately made Samantha worry._

_"Yoshi? What's wrong?"_

_"You mean…you were not told?"_

_"Told? Told about what?"_

_"I suppose they thought it would be in your best interests not to hear it."_

_"**Who **decided **what**, Yoshi?!"_

_"There was…an attack. Black-clothed ninjas attacked the palace and removed all its treasures. Luckily, the treasures buried with your parents in their crypt were not found. I went there and checked them myself."_

_"How did you do that and no one saw you?"_

_"As an apparition, I can appear and disappear and not have anyone trace my movements."_

_"But to be an apparition, you'd have to be…" Samantha immediately stopped and stared at Yoshi, whose silence seemed to confirm her greatest fear. "Yoshi! You're…**dead**?!"_

_"They massacred everyone in sight, Princess Samantha-san. And when they found me in my chambers alone, they brought me to their leader."_

_"Yoshi. Did their clothes have dragon's claws on them?"_

_"Yes. And they were red and faced the wrong way. Why?" Samantha didn't answer, but simply turned her face away from her friend. There was a massacre at the palace. Her servants, her friends; all of them were dead. Shredder was right. She **was** too weak. Yoshi and the others had needed her, and she couldn't even be there for them to protect them. _

_Forgetting her friend, Samantha ran towards the light, oblivious to Yoshi calling out her name, to where she was going or if she was ever going to wake up. All that she knew was that she needed to get as far away as possible from another reminder of her weakness as a warrior._

* * *

Inside the farmhouse, Don was holding on to Samantha, who was still unconscious. The worry he felt for her was written all over his face, and April, as she helped Master Splinter carry in Leo, could see it. She'd never seen Don look so scared in his life. April felt sorry for the genius turtle. Samantha was special to her too, like another little sister. And Leo was family to her as well. It couldn't be easy having your brother **and **the woman you love seriously injured at the same time.

"Place hasn't been touched since Grandma died," she heard Casey say to Mikey as they brought in armfuls of firewood. Casey dusted off the fireplace, sending a large cloud of dust into the air. Mikey coughed violently.

"When was **that**?" he asked sarcastically. "The late Jurassic?"

"Dude. You live in a sewer," Casey reminded him. Mikey cringed. Soon, they got a fire going, and the place began to warm up as they covered Leo with a thick quilt.

"I'm gonna put Samantha upstairs and get her sorted out," Don told April.

"Any of the rooms you can use, Donny," Casey said from his place beside April. Don nodded and then headed up the wooden stairs to the next floor. He walked with Samantha in his arms until he reached a room at the end of the hallway. Opening the door, he saw a bed in the corner by the window and gently placed her on it. Covering her with the thick comforter, Don searched until he found the bathroom. Some of the medications were expired, but he managed to find rubbing alcohol, bandages and a jar of cotton balls. Going back to the room, he sat down beside the girl and began to tend to her wounds. He put some of the alcohol on a cotton ball and then began dabbing at the wound on her forehead. Then, he took another one and cleaned the wound in her shoulder thoroughly so as to prevent her from getting an infection. Then, he bandaged it up and tended tenderly to her other cuts. He felt around her skull and quickly found another wound. Turning her onto her side, Don was able to clean and then bandage the wound. It would need to be stitched up, but that would have to wait until Casey could run into town and get him the supplies he needed. Banging a fist against the headboard, Donatello looked down into the face of the girl he loved. He was so useless to her now, just like he had been back in the shop.

"I'm sorry, _kamisama._ I'm so damn sorry that I couldn't protect you!" Don whispered to her, the tears falling from his eyes. "You're the most important thing in my life other than my family! Please, Samantha. Please, wake up!" There was no response from the young girl. Suddenly, Don had an urge to check on the Amulet. He lifted the covers up and saw that it was glowing again.

"Well, at least **you're** still working," Don muttered to the glowing relic. Placing the covers back on her, Don walked silently out of the room, leaving the door open, and headed back downstairs to the others.

"How is she?" April asked.

"She's breathing slightly, but she's still out of it," Don replied, gritting his teeth. "Based on a quick examination, she has a cut on the back of her head, the shoulder wound from the Shredder and a lot of other bruises and such from being slammed through two cabinets and hitting a brick wall. Her Amulet is working overtime repairing a lot of the bruises and cuts she sustained during the fight. But I have to wait until she's conscious to do a full diagnosis. And I'm gonna need more supplies to treat her and Leo properly.

"We'll go into town as soon as we can, Donny," Casey reassured him.

"Dis is crazy! Why won't they wake up?!" Raph demanded, slamming his fist against the wall.

"Healing takes time," Splinter said, placing a paw on Leo's forehead. "And Leonardo and Princess Bushido-san are recovering from more than physical injury. Their spirits have also been grievously wounded."

"Ya think Leo can hear us?" Don inquired.

"Perhaps," Master Splinter said. Don then knelt beside his brother and began to recount their adventure with Don's new remote-control car and how Leo had come through for Donny by rescuing him from drowning.

"You really came through for me, Leo," Don told him. "And I know you will again." Leo was starting to breathe again, shakily though. But at least it was a start.

"Looks like ya got 'im hanging on yer every word, Donny," Raph observed. Just then, Leo started moaning and tossing his head.

"Hey! I think he heard ya, Raph!" Casey shouted.

"Maybe talking to him **does** help!" April said aloud.

"It is said that the voice of a loved one can guide a lost spirit back to his home," Splinter intoned solemnly.

"Mind if I give it a whirl?" Mikey asked. Don stepped aside and allowed Michelangelo to talk to Leo.

* * *

_Samantha stopped running for a moment. Somehow, she was back in the ninja academy, the flames surrounding her._

_"Samantha!" she heard a familiar voice cry out. She turned and saw her father staggering towards her, a huge wound in his chest. She hurried towards him._

_"Father! Let me help you!"she replied. Her father then looked into her eyes with so much venom that she shrank back._

_"Help me?!" he spat. "Where were you when I was at the mercy of the Shredder?! On the floor like a weak, defenseless child! If you were truly **my** daughter, you would've fought to save me! But no! Like a coward, you abandoned me!"_

_"Father, I would never…!"_

_"I am not your father! I could never have created such a failure!" Samantha stumbled back and almost tumbled straight into Donatello. When she saw him, she felt relieved, until she saw that he was looking at her with pure hatred._

_"Don! Oh, thank goodness! My father, he's…what's wrong?"_

_"Because of **your** stupid weakness, Leonardo may never wake up!" Don snarled at her._

_"Don! Please! I did all I could!"_

_"Except save his life! I can't believe I ever fell in love with you. No ninja princess I know would just stand by and allow her family to be hurt by anyone!" Just then, Mikey and Raph appeared as well._

_"Don, please! Guys, tell him that I…!"_

_"That you **what**, Princess?! Nearly got us all killed?! Caused our brother ta never wake up?! He knows! And so do we!" Raph snapped at her. "Some ninja princess **you** turned out ta be!"_

_"Mikey?"_

_"Don't even **talk** to me! I thought **I** was a screw-up! But you?! You're ten times worse than I'll ever be!" Mikey growled._

_Samantha fell to the ground and begun to weep._

_"I tried! I really **did**!" she told them._

_"You never tried to save **me, **Samantha!" sneered a voice from behind her. She turned and saw Yoshi stand behind her, his robes stained with his own blood. "You never even came back! As I always thought, you are a failure and have brought shame and disgrace to the Bushido name!"_

_Samantha clutched her head and let out a guttural scream that seemed to echo all around her._

* * *

Master Splinter had just finished his tale about Leonardo when Don heard the screams.

"Samantha!" he shouted, taking off and bounding up the stairs two at a time. Mikey, Raph, Casey and April were close on his heels. He hurried into the room and saw his girlfriend screaming and thrashing underneath the covers. Don was at her side in an instant.

"What's going on?!" April demanded.

"I think she's having a nightmare," Don replied, avoiding the thrashing body of his girlfriend.

"So, what do we do?!" Mikey shouted over the screams. "Try and wake her up?!"

"That seems to be the best option," Don answered. He gripped the thrashing girl by her shoulders and began to shake her awake. "Sam! Samantha! It's me! Don! Listen! You need to wake up, Sam! Please! Wake up!"

"It ain't working!" Raph yelled.

"If we don't get her to calm down, she may have a stroke or a heart attack and…die," Don informed them.

"C'mon, Sammy! It's Mikey talking! Please, wake up! You can do it! Please, wake up!" Mikey begged. "Who else am I gonna play video games with?! Raph sucks at them!"

"Why you little…!" Just then, Samantha began to calm down as if she could hear their voices.

"Hey! I think hearing your voices is calming her down!" Casey exclaimed.

"C'mon, Samantha! You can pull through this! I know you can!" April shouted. Soon, Casey joined in as well.

"You got it in ya, Princess!" Raph told her. "Now, come on! Wake up already!"

"I know you can do it, Samantha," said a voice that made everyone turn. Standing in the doorway of Samantha's bedroom, supported by a smiling Master Splinter, was Leonardo. He still looked very weak, but he was awake and alert.

"LEO!" his brothers shouted, rushing towards him. Casey and April hugged, but then quickly let go.

"We thought we lost ya, bro," Raph told him.

"I was lost. But you…you brought me back. All of you did," Leo replied, smiling. Then, he looked at Samantha. "And now, it's time for us to bring Samantha back." Leaning heavily on Master Splinter, Leo approached the bed of the ninja princess and stood over her, gazing down into the bruised and scarred face of Samantha Bushido.

"Samantha. It's Leonardo. Just listen to my voice. You can fight your way back. I know you can. You have the strength of a fighter and the blood of a warrior in you. Fight, Samantha. Fight your way back to us. I know you have the ability. Trust yourself. Wake up, Samantha. Wake up." Samantha moaned and then, her eyelids began fluttering. Everyone held their breath in anticipation as the eyelids of the young woman slowly opened and revealed her brown eyes to the world.

"Hey guys," she said in a whisper. Everyone burst into cheers. Master Splinter wiped away a few tears from his eyes. Casey and April hugged again (which earned them a smirk from Samantha, who saw it) and pats on the back from the four Turtles.

"Glad to see ya awake and alert, Sammy!" Mikey crowed, hugging the young girl tightly. She gasped in pain and rubbed the wound in her shoulder gingerly. Mikey immediately pulled back. "Sorry! OW!" Don had smacked him in the head.

"Shell for Brains!" Raph muttered.

"It's good to have you back, Sam," Don said, placing a hand on her uninjured shoulder. She flinched at his touch and Don immediately pulled back, looking nothing less than confused.

"You OK, Samantha?" Leo inquired, looking concerned.

"I'm fine," she said briskly. "Just…a little exhausted, that's all."

"From da nightmare or from the beating ya took?" Raph asked.

"Both, I guess! I'm sorry. I'm just tired. I just need some sleep." Don nodded and then placed the covers back over her.

"We'll be right outside if you need us, Samantha," Don informed her as everyone left the room and gave her the space she wanted.

"OK. Thanks."

* * *

Samantha woke up, feeling tired and gloomy, and decided to head downstairs. Again, she'd been plagued by the nightmares and the Shredder's taunts. If they weren't somehow true, they wouldn't be plaguing her so severely. Maybe she **was** too weak. And maybe her nightmares were showing her how everyone thought of her, but they were just too afraid to say how they really felt towards her to her face.

She found herself in the kitchen and saw April at the sink. The young woman turned around and saw Samantha standing there beside the table, looking depressed.

"Hey, Samantha. What's up? You look upset," April said, frowning.

_How can she even be speaking to me when it was my fault that her home was destroyed? _Samantha thought to herself. _She probably thinks that I'm nothing but a home wrecker and a troublemaker!_

"Just tired still, I guess. I haven't been sleeping so well," Sam confessed. April placed the big knife she was using to cut up the vegetables on the table, unaware that Sam's eyes had drifted to it.

_Such an easy way out! _ a voice urged her. It was almost like the same voice she'd heard from the underground cavern, but harsher. _You can end your pain and theirs! All it takes is one quick slice to your throat or wrist, and it's over before you know it! They don't need you messing up their lives anymore than you already have!_

"You know, it'll be like that for a bit, but once you start getting better, you'll be sleeping more," April told her. "Don't worry. Soon, your troubles will be over, Sam. I know it."

"Yeah. I guess so," Samantha replied. "I'm…gonna head back to bed, April. Guess I'm still pretty tired."

"OK. Well, have a…" When April turned around, the young woman was gone. She shrugged and then turned back to the sink full of vegetables. But unknown to the redheaded woman, the big knife she'd placed on the table was gone, too.

* * *

Samantha was heading back up towards her room when she bumped into Donatello on his way to the kitchen.

"Hey. What're you doing out of bed?" Don inquired suspiciously. Samantha quickly hid the knife further up her sleeve so that Don wouldn't even catch a glimpse of the silver blade.

"Uh…nothing. Just…got tired of being confined to my bed and wanted to explore the place," Samantha replied.

"Well, you're still recovering, so as long as you don't strain yourself, I guess that's alright," Don replied.

"Yes, Doctor," she replied, rolling her eyes. Don smirked and then planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Get some rest, baby," Don whispered to her. "I want you to heal properly, OK?"

"OK." Don smiled.

"Wow. For a second, I thought you were going to be difficult."

"Well…I guess that listening to you is what's best for both of us." And as Samantha began to climb the stairs, she thought to herself, _And I can hear your voice loud and clear, my turtle genius. I know what I have to do. _ Finally, she reached the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror. She didn't recognize her own face, but what did it matter. She slid the knife from out of her sleeve until the handle was clutched in her right hand. Then, she brought the blade up and back until the cool metal was resting against her throat.

* * *

Don walked into the kitchen and saw April searching for something in the drawers and the cabinets.

"Hey, April. Whatcha looking for?" he asked curiously.

"The big knife that was here on the table," April replied. "I thought I put it back on the table, but it's nowhere to be found."

"When was the last time you saw it?"

"Right after Samantha came into the kitchen. I talked to her, she seemed upset about something, and then, I was washing the vegetables in the sink, and when I turned back, the knife was gone." Don felt something sink in the pit of his stomach.

"Umm…April? Was Samantha standing next to the knife when you were talking to her?"

"Umm…yeah. She was." Don's face immediately contorted with fear.

"Shit!" He raced out of the kitchen and thundered up the stairs and turned the corner just in time to see Samantha standing at the bathroom mirror, her reflection showing her holding the knife at her throat. He saw her close her eyes, her grip on the handle tightened, and saw that if he didn't act now, he was going to lose her forever. He raced towards her, screaming at the top of his lungs,

"SAMANTHA! NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

**Don: *seizes me by the shirt and shakes me hard* If my girlfriend dies, then I'm seriously gonna whack the shell outta you, Livangel16!**

**Me: Donny! Are you insane?! Let me go!  
**

**Don: Not until you _swear_ that Samantha isn't going to die!  
**

**Me: Ever heard of something called "suspense", Donatello?  
**

**Don: Ever heard of a place called Hell, Livangel16?!  
**

**Mikey: I'd tell him if I were you! Donny does not have a sense of humor! I think it's broken or something!  
**

**Don: Watch it, chucklehead! Or you're gonna be joining her!  
**

**Raph: Whoa! Listen up, Einstein, and listen good: _I'm_ the only one who's gonna be threatening to send anybody to Hell! GOT IT?!  
**

**Me: Wow, Raph. I think you need to see a shrink or something.  
**

**Raph: Ya know what, Donny? You want some help with pummeling her to Hell?  
**

**Don: The more the merrier!  
**

**Me: Crap! Where's Leo when ya need him?!  
**

**Raph: Recovering from the injuries _you_ gave 'im in the last chapter!  
**

**Mikey: No he isn't. He's right over there.  
**

**Don and Raph: Where?  
**

**Mikey: *grabs me and pulls me away from Don* PSYCH! C'mon! Let's get the shell outta here! *me and Mikey run away*  
**

**Don: After them! *chases after me and Mikey with Raph*  
**

**Me: Man! Sometimes being a writer can _really_ kill you!  
**

**So, cliffhanger! That's where I'm leaving you fantastic readers for the weekend! But don't worry! I'll update soon. Reviews are what feed my creativity, my readers, so use that little button at the bottom of the screen and review, review, review! By the way, I'm seeing on the Traffic Graph that my readers are starting to diversify a little! I have some from the U.S.A., Canada, UK, United Arab Emirates, Italy and even Australia! I'm so happy! Guys, please continue to tell friends and readers about this little story of mine! Seeing my story reaching the four corners of the globe really makes me happy! So, enjoy the holiday weekend, guys! Happy reading!  
**

**-Livangel16  
**


	39. Chapter 39

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers who make this writer so happy: grapejuice101, pokemonjkl, flamedragon242, Kimmie98, bell-13-tmnt-lover, ninja-warrior101, RAHELA,and WolfAssassin369! You guys know you rule and that I hope to see more reviews from you until the end of this story! So, I've decided to be nice and update this story sooner than Monday! Aren't you all lucky that I'm so generous! Anyways, I now present to you the next chapter! It and the next ones will be based on Return to New York: Parts 1,2 and 3 and then Search for Splinter: Parts 1 and 2, and then season 1 will be done! Hooray! Which means, I can get to the battle between Leo and the Ultimate Ninja soon! Yay! Anyways, enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Samantha felt the sharp blade of the knife slice into her skin, and then, the feeling was gone as something grabbed her wrist and forced it away from her throat. Then, the same force was squeezing her wrist tightly and shaking it, trying to force the knife from her grip. She began to struggle and turned to see that her attacker was tall, green and wore a purple bandana across his eyes.

"DON?!" she screeched, desperately trying to wrestle her wrist free from the mutant turtle. But Don wasn't about to let go without a fight.

"Samantha! Let go of the knife!" Don grunted as the struggle continued. Samantha tried to push him away, but he seized her other wrist and gripped it tightly as well.

"Donatello! Let me go! I have to do this!" she screamed.

"No you don't! I won't let you!" Don shouted. Sam thrashed and tried to free herself from the techno turtle's grasp. Just then, she felt the mat slip out from under her feet, and she and Don tumbled backwards. Samantha felt her head hit the porcelain sink and then, the whole world went black.

* * *

Don's POV

I ran as fast as I could. The knife had already sliced into her throat, but I seized her wrist and forced the bloodstained blade away from her neck. She immediately began fighting me, but I wasn't about to give up and let the love of my life kill herself. She turned and saw that it was me who'd stopped her, but the fight didn't end.

"DON?!" she screamed, as if she was shocked to see that I was the one who'd stopped her.

"Samantha! Let go of the knife!" I ordered, grabbing her other wrist when she tried to push me away from her.

"Donatello! Let me go! I have to do this!" she yelled. I fought back the tears that were threatening to spring from my eyes when I heard her say that. Was it because I'd failed to protect her when she needed help the most why she was so desperate to end her own life? Was I that horrible of a boyfriend that she'd rather kill herself than look at me? _No!_ I reasoned to myself. _I did all I could do for her! There's something else that's tormenting her!_

"No you don't! I won't let you!" I shouted, holding on to her tighter as she struggled harder and harder against me, desperate to finish the task she'd begun. Then, just when I thought she'd break free, the mat slipped out from under us, and she crashed into the bathroom sink, and I tumbled on top of her. Sitting up, I saw that Samantha was out cold, probably thanks to the sink. Quickly, I was relieved to find that she was still breathing and had a pulse. I took the knife from her hand and almost burst into tears when I saw some of her blood on the blade. Then, I tossed it away and picked up Samantha in my arms, bridal style, and carried her to her room.

"I'm so sorry, baby," I whispered to her, kissing her forehead gently as I laid her on her bed and covered her up. "I'm sorry I was almost too late." There was a massive thundering on the stairs, and the sound of people running towards Samantha's room.

"Don! Don! What the shell happened?!" Mikey demanded. I turned and saw him standing in the doorway with April. I didn't answer him, too ashamed of myself for not seeing that my girl was struggling with something that was making her go crazy and that my mistake had almost cost me the most precious thing in my life.

"Holy shit! Why does the bathroom mirror got blood on it?! And da floor?!" I heard Casey shout in horror. "Oh my God!" He must've found the bloody knife. I heard footsteps come to the doorway. "Donny! What da Hell happen up here?!"

"Casey. Now might not be such a good time," April reasoned, sensing the pain I was feeling. I knew that she was feeling guilty herself for not seeing the warning signs earlier, too.

"It's OK, April," I told her. Then, I turned to Mikey and Casey. "Samantha tried to kill herself with the knife you're holding, Casey."

"SAY WHAT?!" Mikey screeched in shock.

"You gotta be kiddin'!" Casey exclaimed.

"Why would I kid about something like this?!" I rounded on Casey savagely. He immediately backed up a few steps, holding his hands up in surrender. The knife was in one of them, and seeing her blood on the blade made me turn my face back to her. There was a cut on the left side of her throat that was deep enough to need stitching.

"April. Can you please find me a needle and strong, black thread please?" I asked her. I heard her leave the room, but I could still sense that Mikey and Casey were still there.

"We're so sorry, Donny," Mikey said to me. A few moments later, I felt a hand on my shoulder, warm and reassuring. I turned and saw Mikey standing behind me.

"I almost lost her, Mikey," I whispered, tears pouring down my face. "I didn't put it together until it was almost too late. If I had come even a second later, she could've…"

"But she didn't," Mikey answered firmly, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You saved her, Donny. You kept her from making the biggest mistake of her life."

"Maybe…maybe she was...desperate to get away from…me."

"No way! She loves you! Something else pushed her over the edge, Donny. But I'm sure as shell that it wasn't you!"

"Thanks, Mikey." He nodded. Just then, April returned with the items I'd requested. Threading the needle, I turned to the others.

"April. Please find Master Splinter and tell him what's happened," I instructed. "Casey, I'm gonna need some bigger bandages, some gauze, rubbing alcohol, strong thread and some more needles. Go into town and get some for me, thank you. Mikey, you go update Raph. He's out in the barn with Leo. But **make sure** Leo doesn't hear you. I don't want our brother's healing to suffer a setback physically…or, especially, psychologically." Everyone nodded and then left me alone to stitch up my girlfriend, all the time holding back tears of how close I'd come to losing her again.

* * *

Mikey hurried into the barn quickly and opened the door. He saw Leo and Raph standing there, arguing about something. He wanted to roll his eyes. Didn't those two ever take a break from this sort of thing?

"I'm not in the mood, Raph!" Leo snapped.

"For what?" Raph asked.

"I don't need to hear how I messed up in New York!" Leo ranted, swinging the steel bar to and fro. "I got my shell kicked! I let everyone down! I LOST MY SWORDS! I…I…I…!"

"Hold on a sec, Leo. I wasn't gonna say that," Raph told him, stepping closer to his brother. "I **was** gonna ask ya what you're doing out here."

"Nothing," Leo answered, turning away, sounding utterly defeated. It was then that Mikey stepped out of the shadows.

"Hey Leo," he said timidly. Both of the other turtles looked up and saw that Mikey was there. Leo looked curious, but Raph was torn between looking curious and looking pissed off.

"Mikey. What're you doing here?" Leo asked.

"I…um…need to talk to Raph. Alone," he replied. Raph grunted and the two of them moved away from Leo and began whispering. Leo immediately felt like a kid. He was the oldest of the four of them, and they shouldn't be leaving him out of anything.

"WHAT?!" Raph shouted before Mikey shushed him, his eyes landing directly on Leo, aware that their eldest brother was watching them. There was some more whispering and then Raph returned to Leo's side, looking even more pissed off than before.

"What was all that about?" Leo inquired.

"Nothing," Raph said curtly, which only made Leo even more suspicious of the conversation that'd gone on between his hotheaded brother and his goofball brother. Beckoning Mikey forward, Leo waited until he was close enough, and then seized Mikey by the ear, pulling hard on it.

"OW!OW! OW! LEO! That hurts!" Mikey shouted, trying to break free of his brother's grip. Raph just stood there, torn between his desire to keep what had happened to Samantha a secret and enjoying watching Mikey getting his ear pulled by his healing, eldest brother.

"I may be injured, Mikey, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid," Leo told his brother, tugging harder on his ear. "Now, what happened? Who did it happen to? And why am I being kept in the dark about it?!"

"Alright! Alright! I'll tell you!" Mikey howled. "It…it…it's…Samantha! She tried to kill herself in the bathroom using a knife from the kitchen! Don told us not to tell you because he didn't want your body to take on anymore stress or something!" Leo released his brother's red and swelling ear. Samantha had tried to commit suicide? Why?

_Why does it matter? _A voice in his head argued. _You failed to protect her from the Shredder, and now, something's driven her into trying to kill herself. Some Protector **you** turned out to be!_

"Mikey. Give us a minute?" Raph told his youngest brother, seeing the look on Leo's face and reading him like a book. Mikey nodded, still rubbing and massaging his swollen ear, and left the barn. The second the doors closed behind him, Raph turned and faced Leo. "I know what yer thinkin', Fearless. Quit while yer ahead."

"Raph! This** is **my fault! She wouldn't be like this if Shredder hadn't stabbed her and Hun hadn't smashed her into that wall! I'm supposed to be her Protector, but I couldn't even save her when she needed me the most."

"Then what do ya call shoving that cabinet down between her and Old Clawface?! Listen, Leo. I don't know a better ninja who could protect da Princess better dan you…unless, of course, it was me." Leo smiled and shook his head, rolling his eyes. "And as to ya doing nothing, I know what ya **should** be doing, and I think you know, too." He tossed a pipe at Leo, who caught it and stared at it before nodding.

"Let's get to work," Leo decided finally.

* * *

Samantha woke up, gasping for air and sweating. The same nightmare had been plaguing her for days now. She felt a burning pain in her throat, and, glancing in the mirror on the dresser close to her bed, she could see a pattern of stitches across the left side of her throat.

"You're awake," a voice behind her said. She whipped around and saw Don standing in a corner of the room near the closet, arms folded across his plastron.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Hey."

"You did a nice job stitching me up. I guess I can always go as Frankenstein's wife this Halloween if they don't heal in time."

"Better Frankenstein's wife than the Corpse Bride." Samantha immediately knew that Donatello was speaking of her suicide attempt and lowered her head. She heard the bed springs creak and then felt a gentle hand under her chin, lifting her head and then turning it so that she was face-to-face with the genius turtle. "Samantha. I know you didn't just wake up and decide to commit suicide. Something drove you to do this, and I wanna know what."

"It's nothing, Donatello. I…"

"You what? Can handle it? Don't give me that crap, Samantha Tiffany Bushido! I'm not buying it! You obviously couldn't or you wouldn't have tried to slit your own throat with a kitchen knife! Now, I wanna know what's tormenting you so much that you'd try to take your own life! And I want to know **right now**!"

"Don, I…I'm scared!" Tears started to run down her cheeks, and Don lovingly wiped them away from her face.

"It's alright, _chèrie_. I'm right here with you. I'll help you. I'll be with you every step of the way. Now, tell me everything."

"It's…it's this nightmare I've been having. I see my father, dying and cursing me for not saving him, telling me that I'm no daughter of his. And…and Yoshi's there, covered in blood, asking me why I didn't return to the palace and save him and the others from being slaughtered by the Foot." Don quickly looked down at the comforter to hide his guilty eyes from her. But it didn't go unnoticed by Samantha. "You knew. Didn't you?"

"Samantha, I'm sorry. I should've told you earlier. And I would've! It's just…with everything that happened with Quarry and the others and Marcus attacking you and everything, I kind of just…forgot."

"You "forgot" to mention that my closest friend and ally was slaughtered along with countless numbers of my friends and servants by my sworn enemies?! Donatello, I thought you loved me!"

"I do! I'm so sorry, Samantha. I just…I just didn't want to stress out your body after Marcus drugged you. I wanted you to heal."

"It should've been **my** decision as to whether I could handle it or not."

"That's what Leo said."

"Smart guy."

"Look, Samantha! I'm sorry I didn't tell you! I thought I was doing the right thing by you, but I shouldn't have treated you like a little child! And I'm so sorry! Please forgive me?!"

"I…"

"**Please**, Samantha!"

"Alright. I forgive you."

"You don't mean it!"

"Donatello, look at me." His whites met her brown eyes, and she smiled. "I forgive you." He was practically beaming when she uttered those words. Then, her face became grim. "But there's someone else in my nightmare that makes it ten times worse."

"Who?"

"**You**."

"ME?!"

"You…and Mikey and Raph are there. You tell me that it's my fault that Leo will never wake up again, that you couldn't believe that you'd ever loved me. Mikey called me a screw-up and Raph…well, he acted pretty much how Raph would act in the real world: hostile, except ten times worse. When I heard you say that you couldn't believe you'd ever loved me, Donatello, I…I couldn't take it. Knowing that **this** was how you thought of me? I figured that the Shredder was right. I'm a failure as a warrior, as Bushido's daughter, and as a ninja. It was my fault why Leo got hurt, why April lost her home, and why everything got so screwed up for us. So, I decided that without me around, maybe you guys would finally have something go right."

"Samantha, what Shredder told you was an outright lie! You weren't the one who sent your goons after Leo! You didn't try to kill us all by setting April's place on fire! You fought against the _tengu_, which was probably the most difficult thing you could ever do, for the sake of my brother, your Protector, and for the sake of my family. You could've easily run or given up when you were injured. But you didn't. You fought to defend me, my brothers, my father, and my friends. Samantha Tiffany Bushido, you are more like your Honorable Father than you even know. And I'm proud not only to know you, but to have a special place in my heart just for you."

"Oh, Don!" She threw her arms around his neck, wincing slightly at the pain in her shoulder, but ignoring it as best as she could when he hugged her back. "You don't hate me?!"

"No. Of course not. I love you, Samantha Tiffany Bushido. More than you'll ever know." She pulled back slightly, and he leaned in and kissed her gently at first, but as she kissed back, the kiss got more heated and rougher as Don's hands tangled in her hair, and her tongue shot through his lips and battled with his own. Their bodies were pressed against each other with barely an inch of space between them. His hands caressed her skin, heating it up so much that she thought she'd burn him. Don gently nudged her body down onto the bed with his own, her arms clinging to his neck, his body coming alive underneath her warm hands as she explored the crevices of his shell and plastron.

"Donatello!" she breathed in his ear as her hips bucked against him. She moaned as his teeth lightly grazed the skin of her neck, carefully avoiding the cut on her throat from her attempted suicide act.

"Samantha!" he growled, capturing her lips once again before pushing his leg in-between hers. Settling his full body weight on her, his fingers found the zipper on her battle suit and seized it. Her hands immediately tangled in his mask, untying it and then tossing it aside to the floor. She pulled back and looked into Don's beautiful, chocolate-brown eyes. She'd never any guy with eyes like this; eyes that could hypnotize and mesmerize any girl they landed on.

"Your eyes are beautiful," she told him in-between kisses.

"Thanks. So are you," he replied before he kissed her again and tugged the zipper down to around her waist. He sat back up, Samantha clinging to his neck and riding his thigh, and was pushing the upper half of the battle suit off her shoulders when the two of them heard a pointed cough from the doorway. Breaking apart, Don and Sam turned to see Master Splinter standing there, a stern look on his face and a bemused look in his eyes.

"Princess Bushido-san. I am glad to see you are awake," he said. "And I can see that my son is equally as happy at you being conscious and alert." Don immediately snatched his mask up from the floor and re-tied it while Samantha fixed her battle suit and smoothed out her hair.

"Sensei, I…" Don began to say, but Samantha cut him off.

"Please, Master Splinter. Donatello and I simply got a little…caught up in the moment," Samantha explained, smiling sheepishly. "I've been having nightmares that made me feel as though I was inadequate as a warrior, as Bushido's daughter. Your son was reassuring me of my capabilities when we got a little carried away."

"Thank you for your explanation, Princess Bushido-san. However, I will still need to have a "talk" with my son. And you should call your uncle. Your Shell-cell has been ringing constantly with a New York caller ID. I believe it is him looking for you."

"Of course, Sensei," Samantha replied, bowing her head. "Thank you." Splinter smiled and then beckoned for Donatello to follow him to Splinter's room in the attic. Don grimaced and pressed a chaste kiss to Samantha's lips before sliding off the bed and following Master Splinter out of the room. Samantha smiled for the first time in a while and then turned her gaze to the barn outside. Somehow, she sensed that Leo was in the barn and decided that it was time she paid her Fearless leader a visit.

* * *

Leo was just sharpening the new swords that Raph had helped him craft when he heard the barn door open. Sweat was pouring down his face from the heat of the fire, and it was running into his eyes.

"What are ya doing here?" Raph demanded. Leo didn't turn around, assuming that it was Mikey again.

"Can't a girl visit a friend who's been injured?" a girl's voice shot back. Leo froze. He immediately knew that it wasn't April. He whipped around and saw Samantha standing in the middle of the barn, arms crossed over her chest, the bruises and scars of their battle with the Shredder slowly healing. He flinched when he saw the cut on the left side of her throat, the cut that could've killed her if someone hadn't found her and stopped her. Sam looked at Leo and caught him staring at her scar. He blushed and looked away, but the damage was already done.

"Raph. Could ya give us give a moment? Alone?" Samantha ordered. Raph nodded and then left the barn, leaving Leonardo and Samantha alone together.

"So...I…um, heard what happened with the knife, Samantha. I'm so sorry that I couldn't be there for you."

"Leo, the last time I checked, you had your own injuries to deal with. It's no big deal."

"Yes it is! If I had protected you, you wouldn't have felt the need to kill yourself. I shouldn't be your Protector, Samantha. I'm not good enough. I almost lost you, not once, but twice. I'm supposed to be strong and a ninja, but I'm not. I'm weak."

"Hamato Leonardo, listen up and listen good. You cannot blame yourself for something that **I** consciously decided to do! And as for you not being good enough to be my Protector, you're crazy! You're **more** than good enough! Leo, the Heads may not be perfect, and they do make mistakes (even though they love to deny it), trust me when I say that they **did not** make a mistake when they chose you to be my Protector. They wouldn't have chosen you if they didn't know that you were more than capable of handling the responsibility." Leo smiled at her as though she'd given him hope.

"Thanks, Samantha."

"No problem. What are friends for, anyhow? I need to call Uncle Kenji and then the girls. Let them know what's going on, and why we've suddenly disappeared. **Your** girlfriend is gonna especially be jumping down my throat wondering about how you are. Or did you give her your Shell-cell number when she planted one on you the other night?"

"No such luck yet, Samantha."

"Wait. You kiss a girl before you give her your number? How does that work?"

"It works for me because I don't want the Foot tracing my calls to her and finding out that they can get to me through her. I want to keep her safe."

"Alright. But first, I think it's time that the others see the new and improved Leonardo with their own eyes. What do you say to making a little debut for your adoring fans?" Leo chuckled.

"I have fans? This is a shock."

"Whatever, Fearless. Leave the talking to me. Just walk out with those impressive new swords of yours and look cool, which shouldn't be hard, considering that it's you."

"Well…alright." Samantha turned to go, but Leo grabbed her hand and turned her back around to face him. "If you ever need to talk…"

"I know who to find. Thanks, Leo." Then, he turned his back to her for a moment and then faced her again, her wakizashi in his hands. "How did you…? I thought it…!"

"Don managed to save it, and Raph and I did some repairs on it. I know your father probably had it made especially for you, and that modifying was a little…bold. But…"

"No. No. Leo, it's…it's perfect. Thank you." She hugged him and then pressed her lips against his cheek and planted a long, sweet kiss on it, causing Leo to blush and smile sheepishly. She pulled away and told Raph the gist of her plan. He smiled and agreed, quickly rushing to find the others while Samantha watched Leonardo finish sharpening his swords. Then, when he took them off the anvil, he sheathed them and nodded to Samantha, letting her know that he was ready.

Outside the barn, Samantha watched as Don, Mikey, Master Splinter, April, Raph and Casey (in a green, grass-and-twig constructed monster suit) approached the barn. She quickly stuck her head back in and signaled to Leo that the others were coming. Then, she stared at Casey and then looked at Don for an explanation. He simply smiled and mouthed _Later_ to her.

"Before you guys go and rest, there's someone we want ya to meet," Raph told them, giving Sam a wink.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Samantha declared, throwing open the barn doors. "Allow me to present Leonardo! New and improved!" Leo walked out, unsheathing his new swords, which glinted in the winter sunlight. He smiled modestly.

"Um…hey guys," he said, his swords at his sides. Mikey, Don and the others rushed forward to pat Leo and hug him, showing him just how happy they were that he was back. Sam and Raph stood to one side of Leo, smiling at their handiwork.

"Guys. I think it's time we head back to New York and finish our business with the Shredder!" Leo declared.

"We're with ya, Leo!" Samantha declared, unsheathing her wakizashi. The other three Turtles unsheathed their weapons and joined Samantha's wakizashi and Leo's katana in the sky, a silent binding oath that were going back to reclaim their home and kick some serious shell. And, in Samantha's case, finally fulfill a graveside promise to her father: to avenge his murder by slaying the Shredder.

* * *

Back in New York, they'd driven into the city without any issues so far. But the real test came when they went down the manhole. They still didn't know if there were Foot Ninjas still down there, especially since they were directly in front of the Lair. But they had to chance it if they wanted to put their plan into action.

"I'll go first," Leo told them, unsheathing his katana swords.

"Be careful!" Samantha whispered. Leo smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek before creeping forward in the shadows, scanning the tunnels for any signs of the Foot at the entrance of the Lair, Raphael acting as a rearguard, hanging from the manhole entrance. He looked back at Raph and nodded.

"All clear!" Raph whispered to the others. Casey Jones crept forward, trying to be stealthy, but his foot struck a can, causing it to clatter loudly.

"Nice one, Casey!" Don scolded in a whisper.

"Why don't ya just broadcast it to the Foot Ninja?!" Mikey added sarcastically as the small group emerged from the shadows. Samantha had a hand on the hilt of her wakizashi, ready to fight if the situation called for it.

"What Foot Ninja? I'm telling you guys there's no one down here!" Casey declared, his voice echoing through the tunnels. If he brought an ambush raining down on their heads, Casey was gonna meet the _tengu_, and Samantha wouldn't do a thing to stop it. It had been three months since they'd been chased out of town by the Shredder and his goons, who'd almost killed Leonardo and Samantha. Images from that night haunted Samantha's dreams. Even now she shuddered at how close to saying goodbye to someone she cared about again; how close the Turtles and Master Splinter had come to saying goodbye to her.

Master Splinter sniffed the air, trying to sense for any strange or evil presences in the sewers.

"I believe you may be right, Mr. Jones," Splinter concluded in his calm, serious tone.

"Well, that'd be a first," April commented.

"And a last," Samantha added, earning a laugh from Mikey and smirks from his brothers and April. Master Splinter hid a laugh behind a cough.

"Nice one, dudette!" Mikey chuckled, smacking palms with Sam. Casey gave her a scathing look which she turned right back on him until he turned away. Donatello led them to a pipe which he turned, revealing a keypad. Typing in a musical-sounding code, the pipes and walls slid open to reveal the Lair.

"Welcome home, everyone," Don said as Mikey rushed past him and into the kitchen. Samantha rolled her eyes. She should've known that would be Mikey's first stop.

"It's so good to be back," Leo observed, and Samantha couldn't help but agree. Stepping back into the Lair felt like putting on an old pair of sweatpants that she loved. She'd called everyone on the way back (and received many scoldings and shrieks and question after question that drove her crazy), and she'd assured Uncle Kenji that she was fine (leaving out the part about the nightmares and her attempted suicide) and told the girls that she'd need their help to catch up on all the work she'd missed.

"Just like we left it!" Raph commented.

"And you were worried about the Foot finding this place, Mikey!" Don chuckled as he booted up all the security perimeters and alarm systems.

"I couldn't bear to think of them hurting my babies!" Mikey exclaimed, grabbing his chips and junk food, hugging them to him. "My babies! Daddy missed you! Yes he did! Did you miss Daddy?"

"Good grief!" Samantha groaned, clapping a hand over her eyes. Leo chuckled.

"Welcome to my life," he told her as she walked with him over towards Raphael.

"I don't get it!" Raph shouted, punching his bag. "Last time, the sewers were crawling with Foot goons searching for us! Why would Shredder just tell 'em all to go home?!"

"Maybe he thinks there's no one to search for," Leo suggested, holding the violently swinging bag.

"Ya know, being dead might be a good thing," Raph suggested. Then, Leo's eyes lit up. Sam smiled. She knew what that look meant.

"It might just give us the advantage we need to launch a surprise attack," Leo continued.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Mikey inquired.

"I think he's thinking what you think he's thinking," Don said. Samantha just smiled.

"If he's thinking what you think he's thinking, then I'm thinking that we shouldn't just be thinking," Raph added. "What do you think?" he asked Casey.

"Whahuh?" Casey answered stupidly. Samantha rolled her eyes. Caveman much?

"The Shredder obviously believes us to have perished in the fire at Ms. O'Neil's store," Splinter explained. "Thus, leaving our adversary vulnerable to a surprise attack."

"Alright. If we're gonna do this, we're going to need to know everything about Foot headquarters," Leo instructed, pacing back and forth.

"I don't know if I can hack into that system," Don countered, typing away. "It was designed by Doctor Baxter Stockman himself."

"Too bad you don't know anyone who used to work with Stockman," April suggested slyly, smiling down at Don. Samantha felt something flare up inside her as Don and April traded places. Was she getting jealous? No. No way. It wasn't possible. Don loved her. She couldn't be jealous of the woman who was like her older sister. Could she? It was then that Don smiled at her (Samantha) and blew her a kiss. She smiled and blew one back. Yep. He definitely loved her.

"Remember my children," Splinter advised as Samantha, Leo and Raph checked their weapons. "The battle you will face today will be most arduous. You must go in prepared!" Raph did a few flips before landing on his feet again.

"I'm prepared…to kick some shell!" Raph declared, twirling his sais in a lethal fashion.

"I think Master Splinter meant something a little more," Leo told Raph.

"Like an extra weapon?" Samantha suggested, her eyes falling on the Sword of Tengu.

"I believe the time has come to return the Shredder's sword to its former owner!" Splinter ruled. Raph approached the Sword of Tengu and took up the glove.

"Now, yer talkin'!" Raph declared before seizing the sword with his bare hand. There was a flash of the blue light that shocked Raph and sent him flying across the room, bouncing off the couch before landing on the ground on his shell.

"Forget something?" Leo asked, smiling. Samantha hid her laughter behind her hand.

"Uh…maybe **you** should have de honor of carrying da Sword, bro," Raph said, holding out the metal glove to Leo. "After all, you are the sword guy." Leo took the glove gingerly and then stared at the Sword of Tengu. Samantha followed him and saw the worried look in his eyes as he stared at it. He was remembering when he'd been ambushed by the Foot, particularly his tangle with the Elite Guard that had injured him the most. Samantha placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright my son?" Master Splinter asked.

"I…I was just remembering the last time I tangled with the Shredder's Elite ninjas," Leo confessed. "I…I don't want to let my brothers or Samantha down."

"You must look deep within and find the strength which is yours and yours alone," Master Splinter counseled and placing a hand on his shoulder. "You will not let them down. I feel it in my heart."

"I have complete and utter faith in you, Leonardo," Samantha added. Then, she removed the red, silk scarf that she wore around her neck and tied it to his right arm above the elbow. Then, she leaned in and kissed him gently on the cheek. "A maiden's colors for her champion, and a kiss from said maiden as well...for good fortune." Leo blushed and stared down at the red scarf tied on his arm. He looked at Master Splinter, who simply smiled.

"We're in!" Don declared. "We're in!"

"We had to use three different dictionary attack programs to crack the encryption algorithm!" April exclaimed.

"Then it was just a simple matter of creating a dummy account," Don continued. "Installing a remote access Trojan Horse!" The two high-fived.

"Very clever!" Samantha commented, giving the two hackers a thumbs-up.

"Thrilling," Mikey groaned, not understanding a word that was just said between the three of them.

"But can you get us inside?" Leo inquired.

"More important: can ya get us to Shredder?" Raph corrected.

"Getting inside's easy," April said, pointing to the schematics of the building. "Getting to Shredder: difficult but doable."

"What concerns me is everything in-between," Don told his brothers.

"Bring it on!" Raph shouted, punching his fist into his hand.

"I can coordinate the computer systems from this end," April offered.

"Great! Casey, you stay here to protect April. Just in case," Leo instructed. "We're going to be a five-turtle wrecking crew!" All four turtles and Samantha put their hands in and formed a slight pyramid. Samantha couldn't help but notice that Leo's was top of hers.

"Six," Master Splinter corrected, putting his paw above the five other hands there.

"Let's roll!" Raph ordered. And as they set out through the sewers to the skyscraper which housed Shredder's headquarters, the only thoughts coursing through the mind of seventeen year old Samantha Bushido were thoughts of how, after so much suffering and pain, that tonight, even if she and her friends didn't return alive, the Shredder's empire would lose its emperor by her hand; one way or another, her revenge against the Shredder would be sweet. But most importantly, it would be hers **and** her father's at long last.

**Me: *jumps up and down with happiness* I'm alive! I'm alive!**

**Raph: Fer now. And _only_ 'cause Leo's OK!  
**

**Mikey: No. It's _only_ 'cause we're off to kick some serious Foot Ninja butt!  
**

**Leo: Not a chance. It's _only_ because I'd kick Raph's shell if he hurt you, Livangel16.  
**

**Don: Oh, please. It's _only_ because you _partially _ listened to me and granted my request...partially.  
**

**Me: How about...it's _only_ 'cause I'm such a great writer and you all love me so much?  
**

**Don, Mikey and Raph: *look at each other* Nah!  
**

**Me: Wow. I give you guys the most exciting adventures, the most suspenseful of cliffhangers, and the best girlfriends my imagination can come up with, and this is the thanks I get?!  
**

**Leo: Look. Ignore them. You're an amazing writer, Livangel16. And even though they don't wanna admit it, if something happened to you, they'd all miss you and come rushing to the rescue.  
**

**Me: Aw, Leo! You're such a sweetheart! *turns to the others* See?! This is why Leo's my favorite! *turns back to Leo* Would you like to walk me home?  
**

**Leo: Sure *holds out his arm, I take it, and we walk out. Leo turns around and sticks his tongue out at his brothers and smirks*  
**

**Mikey: Butt kisser!  
**

**Don: Suck up!  
**

**Raph: Writer's pet!  
**

**So, another cliffhanger! But don't worry! I'll update soon again. Reviews are what feed my creativity, my readers, so use that little button at the bottom of the screen and review, review, review! Guys, please continue to tell friends and readers about this little story of mine! Seeing my story reaching other countries across the globe really makes me happy! Happy reading!  
**

**-Livangel16  
**


	40. Chapter 40

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers who make this writer so happy: grapejuice101, pokemonjkl, flamedragon242, Kimmie98, bell-13-tmnt-lover, ninja-warrior101, RAHELA, Wingnut 2.0 and Extreme Dinosaur Fangirl! You guys know you rule and that I hope to see more reviews from you until the end of this story! So, the new TMNT looks alright to me based on the trailers and clips I've seen, but 2003 TMNT ruled in my opinion! Anyways, I now present to you the next chapter based on Return to New York: Parts 1,2 and 3. Enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Forty

Using a miniature laser, Samantha, Don, Raph, Mikey, Leo and Master Splinter all emerged from a pipe. Thankfully, Mikey had managed to use the Battle Shell as a diversion while they snuck in to Shredder's skyscraper. It'd worked like a charm.

"Nice remote control work, Slick," Raph said as they climbed out.

"And they say hours and hours of video games are bad for you!" Mikey chuckled, grinning from ear to ear.

"Poor Battle Shell," Don said, looking mournful with his hands clasped under his chin. "I really loved that overlade, high-tech gas guzzler!" Samantha patted his shoulder and then moved aside to let Leo and Master Splinter through.

"And I'm sure the next one you build, you'll love just as much," Leo said consolingly. "But right now, let's stick to the plan."

"April! Stage One complete!" Don said to April through his Shell-Cell headset.

"Roger that, Don! Uploading worm program…now!" April replied.

"Well, now that we're invisible to their security system, let's get going," Samantha said as everyone continued to walk on. They finally reached a locked door, which Don knelt beside and was trying to hack.

"Foot comm. systems down," April reported. "What's next?"

"April. I'm having trouble getting in!" Don said through his headset. "Can you dig up an access code?"

"Yeah. But it's going to be tricky," April replied. "They change the codes hourly."

"Allow me!" Raph said, socking his fist into his hand. Then, taking a few steps back, he ran and leapt into the air, kicking the door down to the ground with a huge clatter.

"Noisy, but effective," Mikey commented as they all walked in, weapons unsheathed. In front of the six stood an entire squadron of Shredder's Foot ninjas who were armed and ready to fight. Samantha gritted her teeth and slowed her breathing slightly. The last thing the guys and Master Splinter needed was for the _tengu_ to start acting up again.

"Now **that's** a lot of ninjas!" Mikey exclaimed. "So…we gonna do this with banter or without?" The Foot ninjas charged forward. "Definitely without."

"Let's kick some shell!" Samantha growled as they leapt into battle. Samantha's wakizashi was a deadly weapon in her hands. She sliced through Foot ninjas right and left and used her phoenix aerial attack move more than once. Looking around, she could see that Master Splinter could kick butt just as well as his sons, only ten times better. She smiled as she saw Mikey, Don, Leo and Raph taking out Foot ninjas. Her eyes lit up with the light of battle as she plunged back into the thick of it, helping her family take out their sworn enemies.

"Donny! Do your thing!" Leo shouted, kicking away a Foot ninja who'd danced too close to him.

"We'll cover you!" Samantha added as she sliced down another ninja. Donatello quickly pole-vaulted over the Foot ninjas who were guarding the computer terminal, took out the one seated there and then quickly sat down in front of it.

"April, I'm hooking up! Prepare to download remote access codes!" Don said into his headset.

"Creating synergistic interface…now!" April replied. Just then, Mikey slammed a Foot ninja into a nearby terminal and then landed beside Don.

"Ya mind? I'm working here," Don told him.

"Sorry," Mikey answered before leaping back into battle. He kicked a chair over to Raph, who managed to kick down a Foot ninja into it.

"Uptown express coming through!" Raph shouted, kicking the chair off across the room. Leo saw it coming and back-flipped out of the way, the chair crashing into another Foot ninja. Master Splinter quickly leapt onto the chair and batted two Foot ninjas out of the way before leaning the chair backwards enough for it to come to a halt and send the two ninjas on it into the air and towards Samantha, who was just taking down another Foot ninja.

"Princess Bushido-san! Reverse double kick!" Splinter commanded. Samantha leapt into the air and executed the move, sending the two, Foot ninja propelling backwards and into a console. Samantha breathed on her fingernails and then buffed them on her shoulder before glancing at them again, a smile on her face. She was trying to look cool. Leo smiled and rolled his eyes. Sometimes, that girl never ceased to amaze him.

"On a scale of one to ten, I'd give our major butt-whooping of these guys a twenty," Mikey said, smacking palms with Samantha.

"Well. **Dat** was refreshing," Raph said, sheathing his sais. Samantha, Leo and Mikey landed beside Master Splinter.

"Only **you** would say something like that, Raph!" Samantha snickered, rolling her eyes.

"No doubt more will be on the way," Master Splinter said.

"April. We need another way out," Don told her.

"Main ventilation shaft. Duct is located in the northwest corner," April responded, looking at a schematic of the building and the room they were in.

"Found it," Don replied before kicking in the metal grating and climbing up. Leo went next, then Raph, then Samantha, then Mikey and finally Master Splinter. They climbed through the duct for some time, Samantha praying that they wouldn't suddenly drop into some sort of room or pit or something like she'd seen in the movies. Finally, she heard Don kick out the metal grating at the end of the vent and then, everyone leapt out into a room of high-tech armored vehicles and weapons.

"Whoa!" Samantha breathed. "This place makes my uncle's lab look like a playroom!" Don whistled in admiration.

"It's like I died and went to techno-geek heaven!" Don exclaimed, rubbing his hands together.

"A turtle could kick some serious butt with dis stuff!" Raph said from his place over by a high-tech tank.

"What do ya think** this** one does?" Mikey inquired, holding a silver gun to his face and his finger pressed a button. Black smoke ejected from the barrel of the gun right into Mikey's face. He coughed heavily and then Leo pulled him out of the smokescreen he'd created.

"That answer your question, lamebrain?" Leo asked pointedly.

"Sorry, Mikester," Samantha chuckled, slapping him lightly on the shoulder. "You had that one coming!"

"Come, my children," Master Splinter told them. "We must keep on the move." As they continued walking, Samantha continuously kept getting the feeling that they were being followed.

"Is anyone else getting the feeling that we're being followed?" Samantha asked, her hand on the hilt of her wakizashi. "Or is it just me?"

"We got Hun and a whole tower full o' ninjas after us, Princess," Raph reminded her. "O' course we're being followed."

"That's not what I mean, Raph!" Samantha snapped, whipping around. There was nothing there. "I just keep sensing that there's something following us!"

"You're just getting jumpy, Samantha," Leo told her kindly. They walked a little further, the feeling never leaving Samantha when Master Splinter held up a paw.

"Wait!" he whispered.

"What is it, Sensei?" Leo asked.

"I believe Princess Bushido-san is correct. I sense…a presence," Master Splinter said, as everyone glanced behind them. Again, there was nothing, but Samantha could still feel that something was near them.

"Nobody here but us turtles and humans," Mikey observed, shrugging. They continued walking again, but then Master Splinter once again stopped.

"No. Something is here! Something that cannot be seen!" Master Splinter whispered, glancing around left and right. Samantha's hand tightened around the hilt of her sword.

"Foot Tech ninjas!" Don realized.

"I told you so!" Samantha hissed. Just then, something smacked Master Splinter hard in the jaw, sending the mutant rat stumbling backwards.

"Master Splinter!" Leo shouted, but then he was hit aside too, by the air it seemed. Samantha's sword was out like lightning, but she was sent flying across the room with a powerful kick to the back from one of the Foot Tech ninjas. She groaned and looked up to see everyone in the same straits as her.

"Don't worry, guys! I came prepared for these creeps!" Don exclaimed, reaching for something in his Bag of Tricks. Just then, the bag was snatched from him and tossed aside. "No!" He tried to fight off the Foot Tech ninja, but was thrown the smokescreen that'd been created when Raph landed on the same gun that Mikey had been playing with earlier.

"This is hardly a fair fight!" Samantha snarled, slicing at the air with her wakizashi before being kicked in the jaw hard and landing on the floor beside Leo.

"Tell me about it!" Leo growled before leaping to the defense of Master Splinter, who lay in a pile of boxes. Leo was kicked away and landed beside Raph.

"They're toying with us!" Leo growled before he leapt back into battle.

"Yeah?! Well den it's time ta use some toys on dem!" Raph yelled, running over to a hovercraft. Samantha was busy trying to help Master Splinter and didn't notice the craft in the air.

"What the-?" Leo asked.

"Hang on! I got yer back!" Raph shouted. Just then, one of the Foot Tech ninjas kicked Samantha down and then picked her up by the throat.

"Raph!" Leo shouted as both Mikey and Master Splinter were batted away by another unseen Foot Tech ninja. Raph pressed a button and suddenly, a blue laser came firing out of the claw-like end of the craft, shocking the space where Samantha was dangling in the air. The Foot Tech immediately released her, and she felt to the ground, rolling away from the laser's path. The laser revealed two Foot Tech ninjas, now completely visible, their cloaking devices short-circuiting.

"Are you OK, Samantha?" Leo asked, helping her up.

"A little sore in the throat, but otherwise alright," she replied, massaging her throat before turning to Raph and giving him two thumbs up. "Nice work, Hothead!"

"Way ta go, Raph!" Don shouted. "The laser's messing up their cloaking controls!" Just then, he and Master Splinter ducked when the laser came in their direction, barely missing their heads. Samantha and Leo quickly leapt out of the way of the incoming laser.

"Hey, bro! Now you just need to work on your aim!" Mikey shouted to Raph as the craft spun around and around.

"I only see two! Where is the third ninja?!" Master Splinter growled, looking around. Just then, the laser blew up something, causing a cloud of smoke to engulf the room. A huge tank emerged from the smoke, cannons and lasers pointed at the craft that Raph was piloting. Everyone gasped as it seemed to drive forward on its own, but Samantha knew it was the third Foot Tech ninja piloting it.

"Raph! Watch your back!" Samantha shouted. Just then, the tank fired a missile straight at Raph.

"Whoa! Time ta get the shell outta here!" Raph exclaimed before he leapt off of the craft. The missile missed it, but then hit a huge truck parked nearby. The explosion ripped through the space. The craft Raph had been driving slammed into the ceiling, sending huge chunks of rock and debris crashing down around them.

"Always thought this room could use a skylight," Mikey said, staring up at the hole in the ceiling before he was kicked away by a Foot Tech ninja.

"Mikey!" Samantha yelled.

"Stand back, Sam!" Don shouted to her, halting her from charging in. "I came prepared!" With that, he took out a strange-looking shuriken, pressed a red button on it, and then threw it at the Foot Tech ninja. The Foot Tech ninja dropped the crate he was about to drop on Mikey and then short-circuited before he fell to the floor.

"Electric counter-shock shuriken!" Don explained proudly, holding another one in his hand. "Instant short-circuit!"

"Quick, Donny! Get him before he…!" Leo shouted, but the ninja threw into a huge storage shelf before turning invisible once again. Crates and metal fragments came crashing down onto their leader.

"Hang on, bro! We'll get ya out!" Raph shouted. Just then, they heard a noise and saw the tank coming towards them. But Samantha didn't care. They hurried over to Leo and began digging him out.

"Guys! Take cover!" he ordered.

"And leave you behind?! No way!" Samantha shouted as the four friends kept digging while Master Splinter leapt onto the tank and stopped it in its tracks before it could the five, younger ninjas.

"Free at last," Leo breathed. Just then, the tank's gun turned and pointed at them.

"Not with the Amazing Invisible Ninjas in the house!" Mikey countered. Everyone leapt up and out of the way just as another missile landed where they'd been standing and exploded. They landed a safe distance away and were once again attacked on all sides by the invisible Foot Tech ninjas.

"Ya know?! I'm **really** getting tired of this!" Samantha growled as she was kicked in the side and then in the face.

"Ditto, Sammy!" Mikey seconded.

"Yo, Donny! Can't ya shock 'em?!" Raph inquired, punching the air once again and missing.

"Not if I can't see 'em!" Don replied.

"I'll take care of that!" Leo shouted, flipping in the air and grabbing two fire extinguishers off the wall. "Raph! Samantha! Think fast!" he shouted, kicking them into the air. Raph threw a sai into one of them while Sam jumped in the air and sliced through the other one. The foam from the extinguishers created a thick fog that covered the entire room and exposed the two ninjas, even though they were still invisible.

"Much better!" Samantha growled, smirking as she kicked one of the ninjas into the middle of the area. Mikey kicked the other, and then Don threw the two shurikens and they all watched as the two Foot Tech ninjas short-circuited and then collapsed onto the ground, joining their other pal.

"Excellent work, my children," Master Splinter commented.

"And we put out all the fires too!" Mikey observed.

"Nice work, boys," Samantha said, putting her hands on her hips. "Now, which way do we go?"

"Up," Leo responded, pointing to the huge hole in the ceiling. Just then, Samantha's brain came up with a brilliant idea.

"And I've got an idea that'll get us up there quickly," Samantha added. She turned to Leo. "Leo. Give me a boost into the air."

"Huh? Why?" he asked, looking confused.

"Because I'm gonna tap into the _tengu's_ powers and fly us up there using its levitation abilities," Samantha explained. Leo looked a little worried, but then nodded his head in agreement. Cupping his hands for her, Samantha took a few steps back and then ran towards Leo. Once her left foot was on his hands, he threw her into the air. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard. When she opened them, her vision was red, but she was still in the air.

"Who's going first?" she asked them, stretching out her hands. Master Splinter walked forward with Leonardo by his side. She took their hands and then flew them up through the hole and into the room, setting them down gently on their feet. Then, she went back for the others. Raph and Don went next, and then Mikey was last. Samantha then allowed herself to float down to the ground. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she felt weak and dizzy. She stumbled forward and was caught by Don, who helped her up.

"Are you alright Princess Bushido-san?" Master Splinter asked worriedly.

"Tapping into that thing's powers drains me of my energy," Samantha replied, leaning on Don's shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her steady. "But other than that, and some sore muscles in my shoulders and lower back, I'm fine. But Mikey seriously needs to lay off the pizza and chips! Damn, he's heavy!"

"Hey!" Mikey snapped. "I resent that!"

"Guys. Let's argue later," Leo told the two of them. "For now, let's try to figure out what this place is." They walked through the room where there were shapeless masses hanging in some sort of greenish-looking liquid in giant test tubes. Consoles and machinery were everywhere. Samantha was getting a funny feeling about this place; like she'd seen it somewhere before.

"April. Check out the building schematics. See if you can find out where we are," Don instructed.

"All I can see is that you're on the 33rd floor," April replied. "It won't display any other information."

"No need," Samantha said, studying the tubes. Everyone gathered around her. "I think I know where we are: giant test tubes, green liquid, lab tables and consoles everywhere? Sound familiar?"

"Of course. It's a Foot genetics lab," Don realized.

"Are you two saying that this is just like that abandoned lab we found deep under the city?" Leo asked.

"Dun dun dun dum!" Mikey exclaimed, sounding like the music you'd hear in an action movie. Raph came up behind him and smacked him in the head.

"Knock it off, Mikey!" Raph growled. Just then, an alarm began to blare.

"I didn't touch anything! Honest!" Mikey shouted as the tube in the front opened, spilling out the green liquid onto the floor. Everyone backed away slowly and gasped as the other two opened as well, spilling more of the liquid out. Just then, the creature in the front gave a roar and leapt out of the tube. It looked familiar to Samantha.

"Whoa! Is that the Shredder?!" Mikey asked in shock.

"Umm…I don't think so, Mikey," Don replied as Samantha gasped aloud at seeing three, mutated versions of the Shredder step forward. One had four arms with a claw on each hand, another had huge, crab-like claws in place of hands and the third was short and looked lethal enough. "Though they might be his genetic clones."

"**Might be**?!" Raph repeated as everyone continued to back away.

"Hey, Donny. Got anything in your Bag of Tricks to deal with **this**?" Mikey inquired.

"Forget the tricks!" Samantha growled, whipping out her wakizashi. "Let's just kick some serious butt... ninja style!" The others whipped out their weapons.

"But what are these things?" Leo asked, as they charged forward and began fighting the clones of Shredder.

"My guess would be genetically-engineered hybrid clones!" Don theorized as he and Mikey took on the Shredder with four arms. "Recombinant mutations of Shredder DNA!"

"That's what **I **was gonna say!" Mikey seconded, twirling his nunchucks. Just then, Samantha came soaring in with an eagle's strike attack that knocked away the four-armed Shredder. But it was only temporary. In almost no time, it was back on its feet and kicking their butts instead. Samantha was thrown against one of the test tubes and rubbed her aching head.

"April! Can you find us an exit?! Fire stairs, an elevator?! Anything!" Don shouted.

"I'm working on it! I should have an answer for you in a minute!" April replied.

"Do me a favor: work faster!" Don exclaimed. Just then, not realizing he was at the edge of the hole, he lost his balance and his headset. He managed to jam his bo staff into a hole in the large space, but his headset smashed to the ground.

"Don!" Samantha yelled, watching as the creature picked him up and began trying to crush him. "Leo! Raph!" she shouted to the two ninjas close to her. They turned and saw what was happening and then nodded. The other two Shredder clones were down for the count, so all three ninjas leapt into the air and kicked the monster holding Don, freeing him from its grasp.

"You OK, Donny?" Sam asked as she helped him up.

"A little woozy from almost being crushed, but fine otherwise," Don answered. Just then, the four-armed Shredder staggered to its feet again. Samantha could've seriously groaned. Didn't these things know when they were beat?!

"Michelangelo! With me!" Master Splinter commanded. The two of them leapt onto one of the test tubes and began pushing it back and forth until it loosened from its base and then began falling towards the four-armed Shredder and the four ninjas fighting it. Samantha looked up in time and saw it coming.

"Timber!" Sam shouted as she, Don, Leo and Raph leapt out of the way. The tube came smashing down onto the four-armed Shredder, knocking him out. Just then, Mikey's Shell-cell began ringing.

"Mutant clone control," he answered. "You splice 'em, we slice 'em!"

"Mikey! Is Don OK?! He's not answering his Shell-cell!" April told him. Mikey tossed the phone to Donatello, who caught it.

"Yo, Donny! It's for you," Mikey said. Don quickly drew out another headset from the side of the phone and put it on.

"April. What did you find?" Don asked.

"Private elevator. Hidden behind a secret panel," April answered. "I'm also seeing wiring that leads to one of the lab tables directly in your vicinity." Don hurried to the lab table and fiddled around, trying to find the button for it. Just then, a panel slid open on the other side of the room, revealing the hidden elevator.

"Got it!" Don exclaimed in triumph.

"And **how** are we supposed ta get across dat?" Raph asked, as everyone stared at the large hole in the floor.

"No sweat. I came prepared," Donny said, twirling a rope with a grappling hook on it. He flung it upwards and across, catching on to a metal pipe in the ceiling. Tugging it a few times to make sure it was secure, he took a step and then swung across the hole, landing on the other side. He tossed the rope back to Mikey, who seized and swung across the hole, giving a Tarzan-like yell as he did so. Samantha smacked a hand to her head while Don gave Mikey a pointed look.

"What? At least it ain't "Cowabunga"!" Mikey defended.

"Just toss the rope back, Turtle Tarzan!" Samantha groaned, rolling her eyes. Seizing the rope in her hands, Samantha swung over to the other side and then threw the rope back to Raph, who caught it. Just then, she saw the crab-claw Shredder and the miniature Shredder rising to their feet.

"Guys! Behind you!" she yelled. They turned and Leo took out a katana, but Raph handed him the rope instead.

"I got dis one!" he replied, taking out a sai. Leo seized the rope and grabbed Master Splinter, holding on to the mutant rat tightly and then swinging across it. They both landed safely and Leo quickly tossed the rope back to Raph, who caught it with one hand and battled the claw-handed Shredder.

"Later, Lobster Limbs!" Raph growled as he begun to swing across. But the claw-handed mutant Shredder sliced the rope with one of his claws, snapping it and sending Raph falling.

"Raph!" Leo shouted as everyone kneeled close to the edge of the hole.

"Yeah! What?!" Raph growled, hanging onto a metal pipe. Just then, Samantha gasped when she saw Hun and a group of Foot Ninjas in the weapons room below. Hun hurried over to a huge tank similar to the one the Foot Tech ninja had driven earlier and pointed the cannon straight at Raphael.

"Leo! We've got trouble down there!" she whispered, pointing to Hun. Leo looked in the direction she was pointing. Then, he saw the claw-handed Shredder reaching for Raph, and an idea dawned on him.

"Raph! Don't move until I tell you to!" Leo shouted.

"Are ya nuts?!" Raph yelled.

"Trust me bro," Leo reassured him. Samantha looked back and saw that Hun was almost ready to fire.

"Get ready!" Leo told him, as the claw-handed Shredder began reaching towards him. "Now!" Raph jumped to another pipe and leapt out of the way just as Hun fired a missile. It missed the mutant Shredder hanging there, but brought him and a chunk of the ceiling crashing down into the room below.

"That was close," Samantha breathed as she and Leo helped Raph up.

"Hurry up, guys! We're about to have another clone encounter!" Don told them, pressing the elevator button "Up". Samantha looked and saw the other two Shredder clones getting up. They spotted them and were approaching the hole.

"HA HA! Blegh! Denied!" Mikey teased, pulling faces at the two mutant Shredder clones. Looking at one another, Samantha drew out her wakizashi as a precaution and watched in horror as the two of them leapt across the hole.

"Aw shell!" Raph muttered, as he and Leo also drew their weapons. The battle immediately recommenced. Master Splinter managed to beat away the miniature Shredder while Raph, Leo and Samantha took care of the four-armed Shredder.

"Hey guys!" Don shouted from the open doors of the elevator. Samantha, Mikey and Master Splinter retreated into the elevator with Don. Raph and Leo came just as the doors closed. Everyone was panting from the hard battle. Samantha was relieved that they could finally rest.

"OK. Did Shredder, like, wake up one morning and say: "Hey! Here's an idea! Mutant clones of me! **Really ugly** ones!"?" Mikey said, changing his voice for the imitation of Shredder. Samantha drew back her hand and smacked Mikey in the head. Just then, there was a loud pounding sound on the doors. Everyone gasped in horror.

"Hold that thought!" Don shouted. Just then, something began pulling the elevator doors open forcefully. Seeing the four-armed Shredder and the miniature Shredder, Don quickly reached into his bag and pulled out another shuriken and threw it close to the two mutants. The electrical shock seemed to stun them, and they fell to the ground.

"Everybody out! Double time!" Leo ordered, opening the hatch above the elevator with his katana.

"Nunchuck express! Going up!" Mikey commented as he held a nunchuck in his hands and boosted first Raph, then Don, then Leo, then Samantha, and then Master Splinter. Leo and Master Splinter reached down and pulled up and out just in time. The two mutant Shredders walked in and saw the open hatch. Leo quickly closed it.

"Now what?" Raph inquired.

"I don't know. But we need a way to get as far away from these two as possible," Samantha replied.

"Grab on to the counterweight cable!" Leo commanded. Everyone rushed over and grabbed on to it tightly. Just then, the miniature Shredder and the four-armed Shredder came bursting through the hatch door, ready to fight. "Hang on!" Leo sliced through the cable, sending the six of them rocketing upwards while the elevator went dropping like a stone. "Get ready! It's about to hit!" Just then, there was the sound of the elevator smashing into the ground and the cable jerked, sending everyone but Master Splinter flying. Samantha quickly grabbed on to a ledge close to a pair of metal doors where Raph and Don were hanging.

"Are you alright, my children?" Master Splinter asked.

"Yeah. Peachy," Raph replied. He and Don climbed up to a pair of metal doors. Raph pried it open with his sai and then shoved them apart. Don turned and helped Samantha up. The others followed behind her. In front of them was a long stretch of hallway that ended at a door with the Shredder's mark on it. But Sam was sensing that this place wasn't just some random hallway.

"April. We need the 4-1-1 on our current location," Don informed her.

"Did you see a floor number?" April inquired.

"72," Don answered.

"That's weird," April told Don. "There's a glitch in the schematic between the 71st and the 73rd floor. Let me run a quick diagnostic." A few moments, she replied, "Nada on another way up. Afraid you guys are your own this time." Just then, Master Splinter stopped a little ways down the hallway so suddenly that Samantha almost ran into his back.

"What is it, Sensei?" Leo asked.

"I sense something," Master Splinter informed them, sniffing the air several more times. "Traps. We must proceed with caution." Leaping from wall to wall and then gliding through the air and landing on the other side close to the doors, Master Splinter motioned for the others to follow his lead. Don looked at Leo and then copied Master Splinter's moves. Sam looked at the others, wondering who would go next. Her eyes landed on Leo.

"Ladies first," Leo said, grinning and gesturing for Samantha to proceed.

"My pleasure," she replied, smiling and taking a few steps back. Humming the chorus of Britney Spears' song _Circus,_ Samantha took a run and then executed the same movements she'd seen Don and Sensei do flawlessly with style and finesse, ending beside Donatello with a flourish and a hair flip.

"You're as bad a showoff as Leo," Don chuckled, earning him a playful punch from his girlfriend. "Just kidding!"

"You'd better be!"she replied, smiling.

"Dere ain't no traps here!" Raph growled before taking off down the hallway. But a little ways down the hallway, he stepped on something, triggering a medley of deadly, double-headed axes and buzz saws that were set to kill. Managing to dodge those, he stepped on another trap and the floor opened up to reveal a huge bed of sharp nails sticking up out of the floor. Samantha closed her eyes and prayed that Raph would make it across. Then, she opened them and saw him standing at the edge of the nails, smiling and laughing sheepishly. She strode up to him and smacked him hard in the head while Don and Master Splinter both shot him stern looks.

"Raphael! Your rashness will be the end of you yet!" Master Splinter scolded.

"Hey! I made it, didn't I?!" Raph threw back.

"And what of your brothers?!" Master Splinter demanded angrily.

"No sweat, Master! Mikey got game! Mikey got hops! Mikey be in the zone!" Mikey crowed as he dodged the axes and buzz saws. "In your face, puny blades! Go Mikey! Go Mikey! Go Mikey!" He began doing the moonwalk and dancing between the buzz saws. Just then, one of the axes sawed off the tails of his bandanas and he screamed his signature, girl-like scream and hurriedly dodged the other traps and landed with the others.

"The trendy short headbands are in this season! All the stylish ninja are wearing them!" Mikey chuckled nervously. Everyone was glaring at him, but Samantha only rolled her eyes and waited as Leo landed beside them, holding Mikey's bandana ends in his hand.

"No more fooling around, Mikey!" Leo snapped, handing him his bandana tails. "Not today!" Leo pushed to the front and then opened the doors to reveal a temple with five statues on columns. An eerie fog enveloped the entire place, and Samantha immediately shivered. She knew what this place was and she could feel the evil presence that was here. But she decided it better to keep her mouth shut. Master Splinter approached one of the columns and touched it, his paw skimming over the symbol.

"These symbols each represent one of the five elements," Master Splinter intoned wisely. "Earth, fire water, wind and metal."

"Look!" Leo shouted. Samantha looked and saw each of the elemental statues come to life, all of them wearing identical hats and each of them holding a deadly-looking staff in their hands. They quickly surrounded the six ninjas, who drew their weapons and prepared for battle.

"Be prepared for anything, my children!" Master Splinter warned. Just then, the five elemental warriors all used the staffs in their hands

"Do techno-colored lightning bolts count as "anything"?" Mikey inquired as the five elemental warriors came forward. Samantha growled and sprang to her feet, leaping in front of the Turtles and Master Splinter, her wakizashi pointed directly at the fire warrior.

"No! **You **face **me**!" she growled at the fire warrior, gazing straight into its narrow, red eyes. It did not speak, but it nodded, tightening its grip on the staff.

"Samantha?! What the shell are you doing?!" Leo asked in shock as the others got to their feet once more. Leo hurried forward to help her, but Master Splinter held him back. She looked back at the mutant rat sensei, who met her gaze and nodded his head. She gave him a small smile before all the anger came rushing back to her.

"Leonardo! You and the others deal with the other four elemental warriors!" Samantha commanded, her vision turning red as her reddened gaze locked once more with the fire warrior's. She could feel the _tengu's _evil presence again in her body, but she fought it down. **This** was a hell of a lot more important than the _tengu_. "**Leave the fire warrior to me**!"

**Mikey: So, I'm bored! **

**Don: What do ya mean, Mikey?! We've got two epic battles coming up in the next chapter! How can you bored?!  
**

**Raph: Yeah, Shell for Brains! Think of the excitement! The danger! The head-bashing!  
**

**Leo: Raph. Didn't those anger management classes you took teach you_ anything_?!  
**

**Me: Raph went to anger management classes?  
**

**WolfAssassin369: That's news to me, too!  
**

**Mikey: *looks at WolfAssassin369* Who the shell are _you_?!  
**

**WolfAssassin369: I'm WolfAssassin369. I'm just visiting.  
**

**Mikey: Whoa! Awesome pen-name! I'm the incredibly awesome Michelangelo!  
**

**Raph: So, when are ya taking the next bus outta town?!  
**

**Leo: Raph! Back off ! Sheesh! *turns to WolfAssassin369* Sorry about that. His anger _always_ gets the better of him.  
**

**WolfAssassin369: Yeah. I figured as much.  
**

**Raph: What's _dat_ supposed to mean?! Ya wanna go?! *takes out sais*  
**

**WolfAssassin369: *takes out kusarigama and twirls the chain* Bring it on, Raphael!  
**

**Don: Umm...Raph? Maybe you'd better _not_ take WolfAssassin369 on.  
**

**Leo: I second that.  
**

**Me: No, no. Let him. I could use the entertainment.  
**

**Raph: Let's go, buddy! *charges at WolfAssassin369*  
**

**WolfAssassin369: *does amazing Jackie Chan moves and floors Raph*  
**

**Me: Damn!  
**

**Don: O...M...G!  
**

**Mikey: Whoa! DUDE!  
**

**Raph: What the shell just happened?  
**

**WolfAssassin369: You got just served, my friend. *puts away kusarigama* Later, guys. I'll see ya around.  
**

**Raph: Hang on, Fan Boy! I want a rematch!  
**

**WolfAssassin369: Oh, don't worry Raphael. *puts on best Arnold Schwarzenegger voice: I'll be back!* *leaves***

** Mikey: Whoa! Awesome moves!  
**

**Me: I'll say. WolfAssassin369's coming back! It's not everyday I get to see Raph get his shell handed to him!  
**

**So, another cliffhanger! But don't worry! I'll update soon again. Reviews are what feed my creativity, my readers, so use that little button at the bottom of the screen! Guys, please continue to tell friends and readers about this little story of mine! Seeing my story reaching other countries across the globe really makes me happy! I'm also adding visiting fans in this story at the end parts with me and the guys since WolfAssassin369 asked me to do it. So, if you wanna be a visiting fan, then PM me and I'll see when you want to come in and interact with the boys in green! Happy reading!  
**

**-Livangel16  
**


	41. Chapter 41

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers who make this writer so happy: grapejuice101, pokemonjkl, Aster Sapphire, Just Black Sugar, flamedragon242, Kimmie98, bell-13-tmnt-lover, ninja-warrior101, RAHELA, TheCityBurnsTonight, honkytonk-babe3, and WolfAssassin369! You guys are honestly AMAZING and I hope to see more reviews from you until the end of this story! So, now, this chapter is quite long and will satisfy you until I return soon with the next chapter that will mark the end of season 1! Yay! That means season 2 is next, and you all know which chapter I'm psyched to write: Leo's battle with the Ultimate Ninja!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Forty-One

There was nothing but deadly silence as Samantha and the fire warrior rose into the air, circling each other like two, hungry predators fighting it out for the last scrap of meat. Leo watched uneasily as the ninja princess's red eyes glowed as fiercely as those of the elemental warriors. He wondered what it was about the fire warrior that seemed to enrage Samantha so much. Did she know him like she knew the Shredder? Had he had something to do with her father's death? But she'd never mentioned these five warriors when she'd told them of her past and her father's cold-blooded murder. So what was her connection to the fire warrior?

"What da shell is she thinking?!" Raph demanded, gripping his sais tightly and watching as Samantha and the fire warrior began to fight.

"There's no way she can take him on!" Mikey added nervously, his nunchucks still in his hands. "The dude's entirely made of fire! She's gonna get burned!"

"Have faith, my sons," Master Splinter told them. "Trust Princess Bushido-san's judgment, for right now, we have our own problems to deal with." The other four elemental warriors were closing in on them. Everyone's weapons were out and ready to be used.

"Let's do this!" Leo declared as he, his brothers and Master Splinter charged forward and began to battle the elemental warriors that were left. Meanwhile, above their heads, Samantha and the fire warrior were sparring fiercely. His staff was powerful, and Samantha had managed to dodge his attacks, but she couldn't counter them, no matter how fiercely she concentrated. _Why isn't this working?! _She thought to herself in desperation as she dodged another fireball from the fire warrior's hand and soared in for an attack, that he blocked, but he didn't see her lightning-fast counterattack and finally took a hit.

"You have become a formidable fighter, Princess Samantha-san," the fire warrior observed, his eerie voice sending shivers across Samantha's skin. "And such a beautiful creature as well. Your father would be proud!"

"You have no right to speak of my father, traitor!" she growled, gripping the hilt of her wakizashi tighter and going in for another attack. "He was your friend, he honored you, and you betrayed him! You are a monster!"

"I can speak of whomever I wish in whatever way I wish to, you insolent, little girl!" the fire warrior shouted, summoning another fire ball in his hand. "And I think it's time I taught you a painful lesson in respect for your elders and betters!" With that, he threw the fireball directly at her, and she dodged it.

"Looks like you need a lesson on how to aim, Fire Breath!" Sam taunted, but just then, something struck her hard in the back which propelled her forward and with a strong kick from the fire warrior, she was sent flying down towards the ground and hit it hard.

"SAM!" Don shouted as he saw the fire warrior coming in fast for a hard hit that would probably kill her. Vaulting into the air with his bo staff, he managed to soar across and kick the fire warrior away from Samantha just in the nick of time. Then, he turned and helped his girlfriend up. "Are you alright?"

"Man! I'm gonna have a splitting headache in the morning!" Samantha groaned, rubbing her head. Just then, the two of them saw the fireball coming and leapt out of the way. Samantha's wakizashi was out like lightning. "Come on, you guys! Let's destroy them!"

"How're we supposed to do **dat**?! You can't even **touch** dese things!"Raph shouted as his sais sliced right through the water warrior, but didn't damage it even slightly.

"OW!" Mikey shouted. He'd gone in for a kick to the metal warrior's head, but was met by hard, solid metal. "That's not completely true, Raph!"

"This isn't working!" Leo shouted above the howling of the tornado that encased the wind warrior. "We need a new strategy!"

"Den somebody better come up with something fast!" Raph shouted before he was engulfed in a wave of water and imprisoned in a bubble that was filled with water. He was holding his breath and trying to break free, and Samantha knew that if they didn't get him out soon, he'd drown. She went in for an attack on the water warrior, but his staff blasted her away after her phoenix attack missed him.

"Raph! Sam! There must be a way to fight fire with fire!" Don shouted, as the fire warrior threw another fire ball, destroying another pillar. It was then that Master Splinter's eyes fell on the Sword of Tengu strapped to Leo's back, who was confronting the wind warrior.

"Or magic with magic," Master Splinter suggested before hurrying and leaping into the air and doing a backflip, seizing the Sword of Tengu from Leo's back and taking it up in his bare paws, holding it in an offensive position.

"Master Splinter! What're you doing?!" Leo yelled.

"I believe that conquering our mystic foes requires a mystic weapon," Master Splinter replied, panting hard, his paws smoking from holding the mystic sword, which was glowing brightly as ever.

"But you need the glove, Sensei! Catch!" Don shouted, digging out the metal glove and throwing it to Master Splinter. It landed near his feet, but Master Splinter did not pick it up.

"There is no time!" Master Splinter replied. "Leonardo, get your brothers and Princess Bushido-san away from the temple! NOW!" Master Splinter sliced the sword, sending off two, powerful streams of blue light, one of them slicing through Raph's bubble prison, freeing him. Samantha quickly helped Raph up and hurried away a short distance, watching Master Splinter take out each of the elemental mystics until only the wind mystic was left. Samantha and the others watched as, with one, grand swing from the Sword of Tengu, the temple came crashing down as the wind mystic smashed into it hard, sending wood and stone crashing onto Master Splinter. When the dust settled, a smoking, blackened paw broke through the rocks.

"Master Splinter!" Leo shouted as they all ran towards him.

"Leonardo. Retrieve the sword," Master Splinter gritted out as Raph and Mikey held onto him and helped him to a large boulder to sit on. Don handed the protective glove to Leo and then rummaged through his bag for something to bandage Master Splinter's hands. Samantha looked down and saw Master Splinter's blackened, almost dead-like hands and gasped. Mikey, Raph and Don looked down as well.

"Master Splinter! Your hands!" Mikey gasped aloud.

"No! I forgot about this!" Samantha snarled angrily, sizing fistfuls of her hair.

"About what, Princess?" Raph asked roughly.

"The Sword of Tengu is a potent mix of science and sorcery," Master Splinter explained as Donatello bandaged his hands. "Only a true master can wield it without the protective glove. But there is a price to be paid."

"Makes you wonder what's in store for us on the next twenty floors," Don said nervously. Mikey gulped.

"We still have twenty more floors to go?" Mikey asked in a tiny voice.

"If we even make it that far," Raph said in a low, grim voice as Master Splinter flexed his bandaged hands. It was then that something inside Samantha snapped.

"I made a promise to my father by his graveside that I would avenge his death!" Samantha told them fiercely. "And I, for one, didn't come all this way just to turn back when things got tough! We go on, and we fight until we get to the Shredder! And then, we fight **him…**to the death if need be!"

"She's right!" Leo agreed strongly, digging out the rocks and searching for the Sword. "There's no "if" about it! We **will** make it to the Shredder! Have you guys forgotten how he forced us from our home, burned down April's building, nearly killed us all? 'Cause **I** sure haven't!" The Sword of Tengu was in the air, being held by Leo with the protective glove and glowing brightly. "And I'm gonna see this thing through to the bitter end!" He sheathed the sword back in its holder on his back.

"I'm with you, Leo!" Samantha seconded, walking over and placing a hand on her Protector's shoulder.

"I second dat, bro!" Raph added.

"We're with ya, bro," Don agreed.

"We'll see this thing through together," Mikey told him.

"**All** of us," Master Splinter said, leaning on his walking stick.

"April. Any luck finding us a stairway outta here?" Don inquired.

"Best I could find is a private elevator on the west side of the building," April replied. "But I can't see if it reaches your floor or not." Leo looked at the water symbol's pennant hanging over something. It was longer than the others and Leo sliced it with his katana swords.

"Found it!" Leo cried, revealing the doors of the elevator behind the sliced fabric.

"So, where's this take us, April?" Don inquired.

"Straight to the top, everyone," April replied proudly. "Straight to the top." The elevator doors closed and the elevator began rising.

"There is no turning back now," Master Splinter informed them. "But no matter what happens today, I have never been more proud of you all. My ninja. My children."

"Thank you, Sensei," Samantha replied, bowing.

"Wow. Leo's been teaching you how to suck up, hasn't he, Princess?" Raph chuckled. Leo looked slightly annoyed while Don and Mikey snickered.

"HAHA, Hothead. You're so funny," Samantha threw back sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Guys. Save the jokes for later," Leo told them, a serious look on his face. "Right now… we have work to do."

* * *

The elevator doors opened and all six ninjas stepped out cautiously and approached a pair of wooden doors. Leonardo kicked them down, blasting right through them, the others right behind them. Shredder's inner temple was silent and deathly quiet as the six ninjas entered it stealthily. Torches were burning and the room was empty. Just then, Samantha saw four, familiar warriors materialize out of the shadows in puffs of smoke. Her wakizashi was out like lightning and she stood beside Leo.

"Shredder's Elite Guard!" Leo breathed. Samantha looked and saw the nervousness on his face when his eyes saw them standing there, looking just as lethal as they had on the night they'd all been attacked. She put a firm hand on his shoulder. He looked at her, the fear still in his eyes, and she gave him a firm nod, her eyes reading, _You can do this, Leonardo. I have faith in you. And so does your family._ He looked away from her, but she thought she saw the ghost of a smile on his face.

"You can do it bro," Raph reassured him, crossing his sais. "We're all in dis together."

"You don't know how true that is, freak!" chuckled an unwelcome, very familiar voice. Everyone whipped their heads around and saw Hun standing at the entrance to the broken doors of the Shredder's temple, cracking his knuckles and smiling evilly. The Elite and Hun were there, but they hadn't charged forward. And Samantha knew why.

"What're dey waiting for?" Raph asked, sounding impatient to begin the butt-kicking. Samantha would've smiled… if the situation wasn't so grave.

"Orders," Leo and Samantha said at the same time.

"Astute as usual, Leonardo. You as well, Princess Samantha," Shredder said as he appeared, dressed in full battle armor and looking just as deadly as he had that night in the shop. "I don't know how you managed to survive our last encounter, but I am glad that the Amulet of Bushido and its wearer have survived. Now, you will hand it over to me, Princess Samantha. Unless you wish to watch your friends die."

"I think you've forgotten that my friends and I can kick the shell out of your ninjas any day of the week, Shredder!" Samantha growled. "This Amulet stays with me! And I'll **never** hand it over to **you**!"

"Very well. Then know this: you and your friends will **not** survive this encounter!" the Shredder snarled. "And I will take the Amulet from your cold, dead corpse, Princess Samantha and unlock its secrets myself!"

"Your Elite Guard will not stop **me**, Oroku Saki!" Master Splinter said strongly, advancing to the front of the group.

"No, Sensei! This is one **I** need to lead!" Leonardo declared firmly, crossing his katana swords and standing firmly in front of Master Splinter. Samantha smiled slightly. That sounded more like the Leonardo she knew and loved (in a brotherly way of course…she hoped).

"Elite! ATTACK!" the Shredder ordered. The four Elite ninjas sailed into the air towards the six ninjas. Samantha and the others charged forward and met them. Donatello was knocked down by the Elite with the lethal spear. His bag was tossed across the room and Samantha quickly landed a kick that sent him flying. But he was back on his feet in no time, attacking hard. Samantha gritted her teeth as they sparred. Sweeping his legs from under him, she turned and saw Leonardo on his shell, the Elite with the _narigata _flying towards him.

"Leo!" she shouted, rushing over to help him, but was kicked into a lamp stand by the Elite holding the double-headed axe. Samantha got to her feet slowly and just ducked in time, missing a lethal blow from the Elite that would've severed her head from her shoulders. She locked blades with him and tried to push her sword up, but it was slowly becoming a losing battle. She looked around and saw Splinter being held by the back of his robe in the air by Hun, and the other Turtles not doing so well against the Elite as well.

"No! You may destroy me! But I will **not… live…in fear**!" she heard Leo shout as he locked blades with the Elite Guard and then kicked him away hard before leaping back up, katana swords at the ready, the light of battle gleaming in his eyes. The sound of his voice so firm, so confident, seemed to renew Samantha's strength…and the strength of his brothers as well.

"Got that right!" Samantha and Raph both growled before she pushed up with all her strength and did a strong reverse dragon kick and Raph was able to kick away the Elite who'd pinned his hand to the wall. Master Splinter slipped out of his robe before delivering a series of kicks and blows to Hun, who staggered backwards. The robe drifted right back to Master Splinter, who slipped his arms into it and then retied it.

"In the words of the ancient master: it ain't over 'til it's over!" Master Splinter declared, taking up a fighting stance. The five ninjas were in front of the Shredder now, ready to fight to the death. Suddenly, Samantha felt the ground beneath her trembling and shaking violently. Just then, the entire floor heaved upwards, sending Samantha, the Turtles and Shredder's Elite tumbling backwards onto solid ground. A huge, robotic armor suit came up through the floor, the most high-tech looking armor Samantha had ever seen. _Uncle Kenji will **never **believe this! _ she thought.

"What is this?!" Shredder snarled, seeing the robotic armor that he had not given any instructions to be made. Then, he saw who was piloting it. "Baxter Stockman?!"

"In the flesh. So to speak," Stockman replied, smiling evilly. He was African-American, with a blue disk over his left eye and a regular eyeglass on the other, with scars underneath his damaged eye. His neck was in a neck brace. _So this is the mad scientist the guys were telling me about,_ Samantha thought to herself, remembering the stories of the Mousers and the genius scientist (who was also a lunatic) who'd created them. She'd heard of the genius of Dr. Baxter Stockman, but seeing him in person in a high-tech, robotic, battle armor made her believe that the Turtles hadn't been exaggerating when they called him "crazy".

"You will pay for your false report of the Turtles' demise!" Shredder growled. "However, you can redeem yourself. Destroy the Turtles!" Samantha and the others immediately took fighting stances, prepared to battle Stockman. But he didn't attack them.

"You blind, ignorant, self-important fool!" Stockman shouted, the evil smile widening. "I didn't make this suit to **help** you, Shredder! I made it to **destroy **you! For every punishment you inflicted upon me, I will make you suffer tenfold! You will finally learn to respect my superior intellect!"

"Geez! Does this guy have an ego or what?" Samantha asked sarcastically.

"Stockman! I'll have your head for this!" Shredder growled, clenching his fist.

"No Shredder! I'll have **yours**!" Stockman countered. Then, he turned to the Turtles and Samantha. "And you meddlesome creatures! You have interfered with my plans for the last time!"

"Can you believe this guy's rap? Whack job city!" Mikey told Don, doing the "crazy" sign beside his head.

"You'll **all** pay! Not one of you will leave this room alive! You'll all be crushed by the genius of Baxter Stockman!" he declared, laughing manically.

"Dangerous whackjob city!" Don observed.

"Nevertheless, we came here to fight to the finish. And that's **exactly **what we're gonna do," Leo told everyone strongly. Baxter Stockman laughed evilly as he advanced on the Shredder.

"Do you know the most beautiful thing about my brilliant plan?" Stockman inquired, glaring down at the Shredder. "I used **you**, Shredder, to transform **me** into the ultra Cyborg you see before you! A truly superior work of genius! But all good things must come to an end. It's time to bid you _adieu!_" With that, he pointed his laser gun arm at them and fired at them.

"Incoming!" Raph shouted, and everyone dove out of the way as the missiles exploded, sending wooden beams crashing down. Shredder's ninjas were hit hard and were down for the count. But they weren't the only ones. Samantha felt the room spinning and then touched the back of her head gingerly. Her hand came away red and sticky. She was bleeding. Groaning, she looked over and saw that the guys were also slowly getting up after the explosions.

"Don! You guys OK? I'm picking up multiple explosions!" April shouted through Don's headset.

"Can't talk right now, April. Kinda busy staying alive! Call ya later!" Don replied as he dodged more missiles. The Elite Guard were no match for Stockman, and were soon sent falling down a huge hole in the floor. The Shredder came flying through the air for an attack, but was knocked aside easily into a wall.

"Now where did Hun get to?" Stockman asked, spotting the Purple Dragons leader and heading towards him. Hun seized a lamp stand. "There you are," Stockman said, chuckling. Hun tried to set Stockman's suit on fire, but it didn't work. Stockman knocked the lamp stand away easily and seized Hun by the shirt. "I've been **so** looking forward to this! It's **payback time**!" With that, he smashed Hun hard into the wooden beam. "Oh, that felt **good!** Now, I'm going to take you apart piece by piece! A lovely irony, wouldn't you say?" He begun laughing and almost missed the Shredder's claw coming in at a tremendous speed, slicing into the glass shield. Hun was dropped and the Shredder turned to see the glass healing itself. Soon, it was looking just as undamaged as it had previously been. Stockman smirked.

"WHAT?!" the Shredder roared furiously.

"It's a self-healing polymer acrylic," Stockman replied. "Just one of the 39 patented items I developed using **your** resources. Ya made it all possible, Shredder and didn't suspect a thing! You pompous, overblown ignoramus! But the time has come for you to be re-educated in my brilliance!" Stockman's robotic hand shot out and seized Shredder, twirling him around and around, smashing him into a wooden beam, the wall and then threw him to the floor. The Shredder's head fell back and he groaned. Stockman began laughing manically.

"No friggin' way!" Samantha breathed in horror.

"It took everything we had ta beat da Shredder last time," Raph said, looking nothing less than shocked.

"And RoboNut just took him out in 4.5 seconds!" Don added, looking equally as shocked. "The Shredder **and** Hun!"

"Umm…can we go home now?" Mikey asked, raising his hand as though he was asking a question in school.

"And now, the freaks! It's most fortuitous that you're here! Really. You're on my list of Parties Responsible for Recent Misfortunes in My Life. The charges are: ruining my genius work, interfering with my brilliant schemes, and hampering my destiny as the world's most criminal and scientific prodigy! But now…you're going to pay for it!" He began laughing evilly again, and that triggered something in Samantha that made her step to the forefront of the group.

"Umm…excuse me? Tin Can the Nutjob?" Samantha said to Stockman. Stockman stopped laughing and glared at her. "Yeah. **You. **You do know that evil laugh thing is **such** a cliché, right? Well, obviously you don't, because you're **still** trying to pull it off! Some genius scientist **you** are!"

"Samantha! What are you…?!" Leo asked, stepping forward to drag her back, but Master Splinter stopped him.

"Insolent, little girl! You shall be the first of these freaks to perish beneath the awesome power of…!" Stockman shouted, but Samantha cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah, RoboNut! We've heard it before!" Samantha said. Then, she whipped out her wakizashi, the light of combat returning to her eyes and face. "**I** vote we skip the rest of this nutcase's "I'll destroy you all" rant and get right to the part where we kick his sorry, metal keister from here to Mars!"

"I second dat, Princess!" Raph agreed, gripping his sais tighter.

"Anything ta shut him up!" Mikey seconded.

"Then let's do this!" Samantha declared as they dodged the flames that Stockman shot at them. Missiles were fired, and Samantha saw Master Splinter leap onto the robot, trying desperately to shatter the glass shield. The robotic arm punched the rat hard and slammed him to the ground. Then, she saw Stockman pick him up.

"Master Splinter! No!" Leo shouted as he and Raph came soaring through the air. Leo attacked Stockman while Raph helped Master Splinter out of harm's way.

"Is that all you've got?" Stockman taunted, aiming his gun arm at Leo. It was then that Samantha closed her eyes and tapped into the _tengu's_ powers. Raising her hands, the stones that had fallen from the roof now rose into the air and flew towards Stockman when she directed her arm at him. It threw him a bit off-balance, but it didn't make a dent in his armor. Samantha growled and barely managed to dodge the arm that came flying at her. Just then, Mikey and Don lassoed Stockman's robotic legs with grappling hook ropes.

"Rope? You try to stop **me** with rope? How positively primitive!" Stockman laughed.

"I got yer primitive right here!" Raph shouted, soaring through the air and kicking Stockman hard. He teetered and then fell backwards, tumbling down into the large hole he'd created when he'd burst in, uninvited.

"Finally!" Samantha groaned.

"That's **one** minor annoyance disposed of! Now…to finish **you fools**!" Shredder growled. Everyone readied themselves for the final showdown, but just then Stockman came gliding up, using a jetpack and landed right in front of them.

"You insufferable nitwits! Doctor Baxter Stockman is not so easily dismissed!" he roared. "Kiss your shells goodbye, you freaks!" He fired at them, but all five ninjas dodged it. Leo went in for an attack and sliced through the Gatling gun that was Stockman's right robotic arm. It fell to the ground.

"My robotic arm! NNNNOOOO!" Stockman yelled before he blasted Leo with missiles. They hit the ground where the ninja turtle was standing, throwing him backwards into a nearby wall.

"Leo!" Samantha shouted, sliding across the wooden floors on her knees and skidding to a halt beside him. He groaned and she helped him up into a sitting position. "Are you alright?!"

"I…I think so," he replied, rubbing his head. She quickly retrieved his katana from the wall and handed it to him. Then, the two warriors whirled around and saw Stockman breathing hard.

"It's nothing. Just a momentary nuisance," Stockman reassured himself. "My backup systems will…" Just then, Shredder sliced off his right, robotic leg and then Samantha leapt into the air with Raph, Don and Mikey, and sent the unbalanced robotic Cyborg through the wall with one strong, hard, group kick.

"This is just a minor setback!" Stockman shouted as he plummeted to the street below. There was a loud _THUD!_ and Samantha dusted off her battle suit and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm gonna miss that guy. NOT!" Mikey joked.

"Alright, Shredder! Let's finish this!" Leo declared, drawing his katana swords, which gleamed in the dim light of the still-burning fires.

"I intend to!" the Shredder snarled in reply, raising his claw like he intended to punch someone. Just then, there was a loud thumping noise and everyone leapt out of the way in time to see Baxter Stockman burst back into the room, his Cyborg armor still functioning and soaring on jetpacks. He laughed manically.

"There's that evil laugh again! Cliché!" Samantha groaned.

"My internal jetpack array! I spared no expense!" Stockman explained, looking at Shredder. "And why should I? After all, **you** were footing the bill, Shredder!" With that, missiles came firing from his arm again, sending everyone flying across the room.

"Man! Can someone please shut down that giant, flying toaster oven?!" Mikey shouted, from his upside-down position in front of a wooden beam.

"Maybe we can pull his plug!" Don suggested, batting away missiles with his Bo staff. "Leo! Sam! His Exosuit's power supply! Those radium power cells on his back!"

"On it!" Leo growled before he and Samantha charged forward.

"You peons stand no chance against my vastly superior intellect!"Stockman shouted as he blasted them with lasers. "I, Doctor Baxter Stockman shall…!"Samantha and Leo both dodged them before leaping into the air, kicking off his glass shield and slicing through the huge power cells. Landing stealthily, they sheathed their swords and watched as Stockman fell to the ground.

"Finally! Shut 'im down and shut 'im up!" Mikey declared. Just then, Stockman began rising from the floor…again!

"What do we have to do to stop this guy?" Leo asked, drawing out a katana.

"I have asked myself that question many times," Shredder growled.

"Do my ears deceive me, or did I just hear **you **and** the Shredder** agree on something?" Samantha inquired in shock, staring at Leo.

"Truth **is** stranger than fiction," Leo told her, looking about as surprised as she was.

"That ploy might've worked against a lesser echinoid! But as always, I'm one step ahead in my design work!" Stockman declared. "In addition to the central power nodule, each portion of my Cyborg armor has its own backup, internal power source! HA!" Just then, she saw the grin on Don's face as he walked towards the severed, Gatling gun arm on the ground.

"So, what you're saying is…this arm should still be fully functional, right?" Don asked, pointing it at Stockman.

"Oh no!" Stockman muttered, hopping away, desperate to get out of the way.

"Fire in the hold!" Don yelled as Mikey and Raph leapt out of the way in time for Donatello to blast Stockman with a shot from the gun and sent him rocketing into the air, destroying the Cyborg armor for good.

"Now, where were we?" Shredder asked, approaching Mikey from behind, Raph and Don trying to sneak up behind him. "Oh yes!" Then, he turned around and delivered hard kicks that sent Raph and Don flying. Then, the Shredder came in for an attack on Mikey with his claw.

"Michelangelo! NO!" Master Splinter shouted, kicking Mikey out of the way just in time. The Shredder rounded on Master Splinter, leaping into the air and delivering a hard kick that sent Master Splinter flying backwards through the glass wall and out of the building, plummeting towards the streets below.

"MASTER SPLINTER!" Mikey yelled.

"NO! Master Splinter!" Don shouted.

"Take care of the Shredder!** I'll **get Sensei!" Samantha yelled to Leo. She faintly heard him yell her name, but other than that, all she could hear was the blood thundering in her ears. Samantha sprinted to the hole in the wall and dove after Master Splinter, freefalling and then propelling herself faster and concentrating hard on tapping into the _tengu's_ powers. Finally, she opened her eyes and her vision was red. Propelling herself one more time, she managed to catch up to the elderly rat. Seizing Master Splinter's paw, she flew them to a wide ledge of the building, resting him tenderly against the wall, sitting up. She felt her head throbbing, but her vision was normal again as she placed the walking stick in Splinter's hand. He was moaning, and it was obvious that he was in a lot of pain.

"Master Splinter!" she heard Leo shout as he came swinging into view on a rope. He let it go and then knelt down beside his father, only glancing at her. _Oh yeah, Leo! Just ignore the girl who saved your father's life, why don't you?_ she thought bitterly to herself.

"Leonardo. Princess Bushido-san," he said weakly.

"We're right here, Master Splinter," Samantha replied, kneeling on the other side of Splinter.

"Princess Bushido-san. I…thank you for…saving me," Splinter whispered to her. "Now, you must…return to the battle…and help…my sons."

"Yes, Sensei," she answered, bowing her head. She felt a furry paw stroke her hair just like her father used to do when she was a little girl, and gazed into the warm, fatherly eyes of the mutant rat. Samantha felt tears coming into her eyes, but quickly stood up and turned her back to Leo and his father, unaware that they'd both seen her reaction. Then, she held her Amulet in the air and was gone in a flash.

"You're going to be OK, Master Splinter. We'll get you help. I'll get the others," Leo told him.

"No, Leonardo. Worry not," Master Splinter weakly. "This is no longer about me."

"Master Splinter, I…" Leo began to say, but his sensei and father cut him off.

"You must return to the battle," Splinter instructed. "Protect your brothers. Defend Princess Bushido-san and the Amulet. Defeat the Shredder. I will be there with you…in spirit. Now, go. Leave me!"

"No, Master Splinter!"

"I know…you will lead your brothers well. And that you will…live up to your duties…as Princess Bushido-san's…Protector. My son. My…son." Then, Splinter was silent as Leo placed his walking stick in his hand.

"It's going to be alright! We'll be back for you, Master Splinter. I promise. Just hang on!" Master Splinter was barely conscious, and Leonardo growled as he looked back up towards the battlefield and hurried to help his brothers and Samantha, unaware that other eyes were watching.

* * *

Samantha returned to the battlefield just in time to deliver a hard kick to the Shredder, saving Don from being pummeled. But the Shredder came back around and delivered a hard attack that soon had her floored. She moaned as the Shredder picked her up by the collar of her battle suit, his claw drawn back and aimed at her heart.

"One last chance, you Bushido brat! Hand the Amulet over to me! Unlock its secrets for me, and I will spare your miserable life!" the Shredder demanded.

"Read my perfectly glossed lips, Clawface: **no friggin' way**!" Samantha growled. Then, she felt her head being slammed into the ground. It throbbed with pain, and she was drifting in and out of consciousness as the Shredder held her in the air once more.

"Then, prepare to die!" the Shredder declared, drawing his claw back once more. "I shall enjoy slaying the only seed of Bushido and ending his accursed line here and now!"

"GET AWAY FROM HER, SHREDDER!" she heard someone yell. She turned and saw Leonardo holding the Sword of Tengu in the air before pointing it at the Shredder. The energy from the Sword hit him square in the chest, causing him to drop Samantha to the ground as he flew backwards and smashed into a wooden bridge. Gentle hands helped her to her feet, and she felt Don's strong arms holding her up.

"Are you alright, Sam?" Don inquired.

"Yeah. I'm fine, Don," she replied, finding the strength to stand on her own. She looked at Leo, who was looking back at her as a light wind began blowing. Smiling, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and thanked the ninja turtle with her eyes. A smile formed on his face as well before it became serious once more as the Shredder began crawling from underneath the remnants of the bridge.

"This cannot be happening!" the Shredder growled. "**I cannot lose**!" Then, the air was filled with Foot ninjas on hovercrafts similar to the one Raph had used earlier.

"Guys! Can you hear me?" April asked. "I've got a dozen unidentified flying objects coming your way!"

"We see 'em, April!" Don replied as the ninjas begun blasting. "Problem is, they see us too!" Don and Mikey and Raph quickly dodged the incoming laser beams. Samantha turned and saw Raph hijack one of the hovercrafts and smiled before she saw the Sword of Tengu buried by its blades in a pile of rocks nearby with the Shredder approaching it. She would've leapt to its defense, but she was busy dodging the lasers from the hovercrafts. Just then, she saw Leo pinned down by Shredder's Elite Guard.

"Leo! Hang on!" she cried before leaping in the air and kicking away the Elite with the double-headed axe. Then, a reverse phoenix kick sent the one with the pitchfork-ended spear flying. Picking up the spear and freeing Leo, she threw it with all her might at the Elite, pinning him to the ground.

"Samantha! This is my fight!" Leo growled as he took on the Elite with the _narigata._

"There's no way I'm letting you take on these goons alone, Leo," Samantha countered. "And it's not because I don't think you could kick their butts without any help! We started this together, we **end** it together!"

Just then, Raph jumped into the fight as well.

"Hey! Save some for me, Leo!" Raph told him, twirling his sais.

"I can finish this, Raph!" Leo told him.

"I know! But where's da fun in dat, bro?!" Raph asked as he took on one of the Elite.

"Couldn't agree with you more, Hothead!" Samantha crowed as she kicked the Elite with the _narigata_ and then hit him with an attack from her wakizashi.

"We're family!"Don shouted, jumping into the fight with his bo staff.

"We finish this together! Besides, the cable's out at the Lair!" Mikey exclaimed. Within minutes, all four of the Elite Guards were slammed into a huge, defeated pile. Then, everyone's attention turned to Shredder as he dug through the mangled, flaming metal of Raph's craft in a desperate attempt to get to the Sword of Tengu.

"It's OVER, Shredder!" Leo snarled. Shredder began to laugh evilly.

"You **are** fools!" he cackled. "This is **my** fortress! **My** stronghold! Did you believe you could defeat **me here**?!" With that, he turned a sphere stone and an entire legion of Foot ninjas appeared in front of their master, armed and ready to fight.

"Aw! Gimme a break!" Mikey groaned.

"**This** just gets better and better!" Samantha growled, her wakizashi glittering deathly in the light of the burning fires.

"Well…nobody said it was gonna be easy," Raph growled, brandishing his sais. And as the five prepared to battle the Foot, a mysterious figure in a grey trench coat wearing sunglasses and a gold medallion around his neck landed in front of them.

"Easy? No. But perhaps **we** can offer you some assistance," the stranger said, smiling.

"We?" Raph repeated. Just then, six more of these men, all wearing identical outfits landed on the rooftop. The seven men then reached into their coats and drew out large swords that glowed with a mysterious, blue light as they formed a "V".

"I want one!" Samantha muttered, eyeing their swords with envy.

"Hurry! We must keep the Shredder from the Sword of Tengu!" the leader of these strangers told Leo.

"I'll take care of the Shredder!" Leo replied, hurrying off to keep the Shredder away from the sword.

"Guardians! GO!" the leader said, leaping into the air and doing a backflip before slicing through two ninjas. The other Guardians gave a battle cry and then leapt into action.

"They've got things covered on this end! We've got to help Leo! C'mon!" Samantha ordered. They'd just reached the blue bandana-wearing turtle when they saw the Sword of Tengu in the hands of the Shredder.

"Shit!" Samantha cursed, gritting her teeth and tightening her hold on her wakizashi.

"Ah, the power! I had almost forgotten!" the Shredder mused aloud. "The Sword of Tengu! The sword with which I laid villages to waste! Brought castles to ground! Vanquished armies! The sword I used to conquer Japan and give power to the Tochugawa clan! It is mine once more!" With that, a huge blast of energy was fired at them, sending everyone flying backwards. Samantha felt her already throbbing head ache twenty times more as she hit the stone wall of the temple. She looked up and saw that the Shredder was headed straight for Raph. He pointed the sword at him, but Leo forced it upwards with his katana, shooting the blast off into the air. Shredder then tried to point it at Leo, but then Raph and the others came in. Ducking a sword swing, they regrouped a short distance away.

"Get in close! It's the only way!" Leo commanded. Dodging another blast from the sword, they all leapt in and Leo managed to pin the sword down while Raph got underneath it with a sai and sent it spinning high into the air. Don pushed his bo staff between Shredder's feet and Mikey knocked him backwards with a strong kick. Leo stabbed his katanas into the ground and jumped in the air for the Sword of Tengu.

"Leo! Catch!" Don shouted, throwing the metal glove into the air. Just then, they saw the Shredder get up and leap into the air as well.

"He's goin' after it!" Raph shouted.

"Donatello! Boost me!" Samantha ordered. Running at Don, she stepped onto his bo staff and was launched high into the air. Summoning all the strength she had left, she did a backflip in the air and kicked the Shredder hard in the face as Leo put on the glove and seized the Sword of Tengu, landing on the opposite side of the temple to his katanas.

"**That** was for my father!" she growled as Shredder quickly snatched up Leo's katanas, and the two opponents faced each other. Eyes narrowed and grips tightened on handles. The air was thick with tension as everyone waited for someone to make a move. Then, the Shredder and Leo leapt into the air at the same time, heading towards each other and then slicing at each other before landing on opposite sides. Leo landed unscathed as the Shredder landed as well, but his helmet fell off, clanging against the stone floor as the headless body of armor fell to the ground, releasing its hold on Leo's katanas. Leo sheathed the Sword of Tengu before walking over to the fallen body of the Shredder and retrieving his katanas. Don and the others stood behind him, silent, before Leo turned around and Samantha threw herself into his arms. He hugged her back just as tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered to him, tears pouring down her cheeks. "From **both of us**. Thank you." It had finally, truly happened. Her father had been avenged. Bushido could now rest in peace as his murderer would never again destroy another person's life, another family's happiness, another village's history.

"You're welcome," Leo replied, burying his face in her hair. His hands were on her back, and he pulled back slightly to gaze into her tear-stained face and watering eyes, smiling at the thought of having just avenged this beautiful girl's dead father, who was also the founder of the ninja code that he and his family followed. He cupped her face with his hand and watched her smile as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Don, deciding that he'd seen enough, gave a pointed cough and the two ninjas broke apart.

"As much as we'd love to celebrate this moment as well, this **probably** isn't the best place for it, right?" Don reminded them pointedly.

"Er….right," Leo said, rubbing his head nervously as they begun walking to the main power control. "But before we go, there's just one thing left to do first."

"Make sure da Foot can **never** use dis building for anything ever again!" Raph finished.

"Stockman's radium power cells coupled with the power from the Sword of Tengu should fry most of the tech in this building!" Don theorized, plugging two wires from Stockman's robotic arm into the main power control. "Let it rip, Leo!" With that, Leo allowed the Sword of Tengu to power up fully before slamming it into Stockman's robotic arm. The energy from the sword not only fried every inch of tech in the entire skyscraper, but it also destroyed the Sword of Tengu itself in the process.

"Well…at least no one will ever have to worry about the Sword of Tengu falling into the wrong hands," Samantha commented.

"C'mon, everyone. Let's get Master Splinter and go home," Leo instructed. Leading them to the ledge where he'd left Master Splinter, Leo and Samantha were both shocked to see him gone, his walking stick the only thing left.

"Where is he?" Samantha asked worriedly.

"He's… gone," Leo said, picking up the walking stick. "I don't understand. I left him right here. He was in no shape to move."

"How could he be gone?!" Mikey asked, smacking a hand to his head. Just then, the sound of police sirens was audible. Don and Samantha peered over the edge and saw several cruisers parked down below in front of Foot Headquarters.

"Time to disappear, guys," Samantha said grimly.

"We can't stay here. We **have** to go," Don told them. Everyone was silent, not wanting to leave until they found Master Splinter. But they all knew that they had to.

"Donny. The helicopter," Leo said, nodding towards a Foot helicopter. Donatello quickly hopped inside and hotwired it, getting it started in no time. Everyone climbed inside and Don took off.

"We'll drop you home, Samantha, and explain to Uncle Kenji what's happened," Leo told her.

"Thank you," she replied, but her gaze was fixed out the window at the burning skyscraper that had once been her enemy's stronghold. She should've been glad, but what she and her friends had had to pay to do it was too high for her to be joyous and celebrate.

"We did it, Leo," Raph told him as they soared off towards Westchester County. "We defeated Shredder."

"But the price was too high," Leo said solemnly, gazing down at Sensei's walking stick.

"You don't think Master Splinter is…?" Mikey asked, leaving the end of the question off.

"I don't know, Mikey," Leo answered. "I truly don't know." Samantha bowed her head and allowed a tear to fall from her face as Donny piloted the copter towards her home.

* * *

Landing the Foot helicopter near the pool of her house, Samantha and the others climbed out of it and Donny powered it down and the five headed across the yard to Samantha's balcony. Climbing up the white fencing, Samantha opened her unlocked balcony doors and walked back into her room. A part of her was glad to be home, but the other side of her was still in mourning for Master Splinter, who had been like a father to her. Just then, Uncle Kenji came hurrying into the room, a wakizashi in his hand. He saw his niece and immediately threw the sword down as she ran into his arms.

"My cherry blossom! Thank the gods you are safe!" Uncle Kenji breathed. He ruffled her hair and saw her wince when his fingers brushed against her bruises and head wound. "You are injured?"

"A little," Samantha replied, turning in her uncle's arms to face the Turtles. "But not much. Thanks to the Turtles; especially Leonardo, who has slain the Shredder, Uncle Kenji. My father and your brother-in-law can now rest in peace. He has been avenged."

"Leonardo-san. Turtles," Uncle Kenji said, breaking away from his niece and bowing. "Thank you. Our family is forever in your debt. You have avenged a great man. I am forever grateful to you."

"Thank you, honorable Kenji-san," Leonardo replied as he and his brothers bowed back.

"Now, we must arrange for a great celebration!" Uncle Kenji declared, but seeing the somber looks on the Turtles' and his niece's faces was enough to make him reconsider. "What is the matter?"

"Uncle Kenji. Their sensei, Master Splinter, is…gone," Samantha told him, holding back her tears. "He was a great ally and…almost like a father to me. It would not be right to do something like this… considering what has happened."

"Gone? What do you mean "gone"?" Uncle Kenji inquired. The Turtles all hung their heads before Leo raised his and spoke.

"He's…missing," Leo told Uncle Kenji simply.

"Then, we will find him," Uncle Kenji decided, pulling out a cell phone from his pocket. "I'll have a private team of investigators covering the city looking for any leads on your sensei."

"Uncle Kenji. We can't ask you to…" Don began to say, but Uncle Kenji cut him off.

"You do not have to ask, Donatello. You are _kazoku_. Family," Uncle Kenji informed him. "I will help in any way that I can. Just as I know that my niece will help you search for your sensei."

"Thanks, Uncle Kenji," Mikey told him, sounding grateful.

"Now, I know that you would like to tell me of your adventures with my niece during the past three months, but that can wait for another time," Uncle Kenji said, smiling. "For now, go home and rest. Samantha will see you out, and then I will have our home nurse come and tend to her wounds."

"Yes, Uncle Kenji," Samantha replied before he turned and bid goodnight to the Turtles and his niece.

"Well, we'd better be going, too," Don told Samantha. "We've got a lot of work to do in the morning."

"I'll help out with the search as soon as I'm done with classes," Samantha offered as the four Turtles headed to the balcony.

"Thanks, Sammy," Mikey said, hugging her before leaping off the balcony.

"Yeah. We…appreciate it, Princess," Raph said awkwardly, giving her a light punch to the shoulder. She smiled and patted Raph on the shoulder before he jumped off the balcony too and followed Mikey to the helicopter. Don paused and then swept his girlfriend into his arms, kissing her fiercely. Samantha clung to him, kissing him back, desperate to forget about the missing Master Splinter. Finally, Don broke away and planted a parting kiss on her forehead before leaping down and hurrying after his brothers. Then, she and Leo were left.

"You were amazing tonight, Leonardo," she told him, gazing into his eyes.

"Thanks. So were you," Leo told her, looking away from her and staring at the night sky. Sam touched his shoulder gently, her touch enough to turn his attention back on to her. She hugged him tightly, her arms around his neck.

"We're gonna find him, Leo. And we're gonna find him alive," she told him firmly. "I know we will."

"I hope so, Samantha," Leo said, hugging her back. "I really do hope so." Then, he broke away from her and headed towards the balcony before he stopped. Then, he turned back to her.

"I've avenged your father," he reminded her. She smiled.

"Now, I'll help **you** find **yours**," she replied. Leo smiled back and then leapt off the balcony. Landing on his feet, he looked up and saw Samantha standing at the railing, leaning over it and looking at him. He didn't know what possessed him to do so, but he put his hand to his lips and then blew her a kiss. She looked shocked for a moment, but then smiled, winked and blew him a sisterly kiss back. He blushed slightly at her wink and quickly hurried off to the helicopter waiting to take him and his brothers back home.

After the nurse came in and treated Samantha's wounds (all the time going on and on about the dangers of being a ninja), she fell asleep, dreaming of a large, unfamiliar room with huge, orange pods containing some sort of weird liquid, the sound of lasers being fired, a bright, blinding flash of blue light across a darkened skyline of Manhattan and four, large, black letters: T.C.R.I.

**Mikey:Man! That was hard! I need a nap for like a hundred years!**

**Raph: Not 'til we find Master Splinter, Shell for Brains!  
**

**Me: *walks in with RAHELA behind me* Hey guys! This is RAHELA. She's another visiting fan.  
**

**Raph: Great! She gonna kick my shell like da last bozo dat came here?  
**

**RAHELA: Nice to meet you too, Raph! And if you want me to embarrass you in front of your brothers and this audience of readers by kicking your shell, I can!  
**

**Mikey: OOOOOHHHH! Raph just got _owned_!  
**

**Raph: Why ya little...! *springs forward, but Don holds him back*  
**

**Don: Sorry about that, RAHELA. He hasn't been going to his anger management classes...as you can probably tell. I'm Donatello.  
**

**RAHELA: Hey Donatello. I'm RAHELA.  
**

**Mikey: RAHELA? Kinda reminds me of some totally bodacious female, video-game heroine! You're definitely hot enough to be in a video-game!  
**

**Me: Mikey! Quit flirting, or I'll tell Olivia!  
**

**Leo: What's going on? *sees RAHELA* OH. Hello.  
**

**RAHELA: Hey. I'm RAHELA. You must be Leo.  
**

**Leo: Yeah. So, you're another one of Livangel16's visiting fans?  
**

**RAHELA: Yeah. That's alright, isn't it?  
**

**Leo: Of course. It's a pleasure to meet you. *takes RAHELA's hand and kisses it like a gentleman*  
**

**RAHELA: You...! You...! You just...! *swoons and faints*  
**

**Me: What'd you do to my visiting fan, Fearless?!  
**

**Don: What Leo _always _ does: acts like a flirt!  
**

**Leo: I am NOT a flirt!  
**

**Me: Right! *kneels down beside RAHELA, who wakes up* You're lucky she's awake! Otherwise, I'd get Donny to kick your shell!  
**

**RAHELA: Wha...What happened?  
**

**Leo: You fainted. Are you alright?  
**

**RAHELA: I...I think so.  
**

**Leo: I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to make you faint.  
**

**RAHELA: Oh, that's alright. I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have acted like such a fan-girl.  
**

**Leo: Actually, it was kind of...cute.  
**

**RAHELA: Really?!  
**

**Leo: *smiles and winks at her* _Definitely._ I hope I see you again, _RAHELA_. *smiles and leaves*  
**

**RAHELA: Oh...my...God! He's _soooo_ cute! *sighs dreamily* Thanks for inviting me here, Livangel16! I'll see you later, OK?! Tell Leo I said bye, OK?! Bye! *RAHELA walks out*  
**

**Me: Oh, good God! You are _such_ a flirt, Leonardo!  
**

**Don: Now, you know what I have to deal with _every day _of my life!  
**

**RAHELA: *pops back in* Oh, bye Donny! Bye Mikey! Bye...Raph! *leaves again*  
**

**Mikey: Bye, RAHELA!  
**

**Don: See ya later!  
**

**Me: Raph! Aren't _you_ going to say anything?!  
**

**Raph: *looks at the audience* Well...at least she didn't hand my shell to me.  
**

**So, another cliffhanger! But don't worry! I'll update soon again. Reviews are what feed my creativity, my readers, so use that little button at the bottom of the screen! Guys, please continue to tell friends and readers about this little story of mine! Seeing my story reaching other countries across the globe really makes me happy! Remember: if you wanna be a visiting fan, then PM me and I'll see when you want to come in and interact with the boys in green! Happy reading!  
**

**-Livangel16  
**


	42. Chapter 42

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers who make this writer so happy: grapejuice101, pokemonjkl, Aster Sapphire, Just Black Sugar, IAmTheDragonEmpress, flamedragon242, Kimmie98, bell-13-tmnt-lover, ninja-warrior101, RAHELA, Pink Lightspeed Ranger, Wingnut2.0 and honkytonk-babe3! You guys are honestly AMAZING and I hope to see more reviews from you until the end of this story! So, this is it...season 1 is done in this chapter! But don't worry guys. The story's FAR FROM OVER! Next chapter, we're in space, but there's a twist! For now, enjoy this very long chapter and review! Enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Forty-Two

Samantha awoke the next morning with a huge headache and a lot of questions. The dream she'd had last night was still bothering her as she showered and dressed for a half day of classes. She'd be finished at 2 today, and then she could help the guys with their search for Master Splinter. She felt her heartstrings tugging when she thought of the guys' rodent master, who had been like a second father to her. She knew that if her heart was aching, she could only imagine how the guys must be feeling, especially Leonardo, who was the closest of the four to Master Splinter.

"Don't worry, Master Splinter," Samantha breathed as she dressed in black jeans and a green tank top and then grabbed her backpack. "We're going to find you. Even if we have to search the entire state of New York…or even the entire country, we **will** find you."

* * *

As Samantha walked towards the Sociology department's student lounge, there was a cry of "Sammy!" and then two pairs of arms engulfed themselves around Samantha's neck. She stumbled forward from the momentum and turned to see the wide eyes and smiling faces of Olivia and Makayla. Tonya was nearby, but she obviously didn't do the whole "girly meeting ritual" thing. Samantha smiled and hugged the two girls, basking in their warmth and concern.

"WHERE have you been?!" Olivia demanded, pulling back and looking at Samantha. "You've had us worried sick for the past three months!"

"We texted and called, but there wasn't an answer," Makayla continued. "Then, we all get calls from you saying you and the guys are back in the city after almost being killed in that huge explosion at Second Time Around."

"Add in the fact that you and Leo both got injured, and Tonya was set to ask Caroline to ask their cousin to track your phone so she could drive us up to find you all," Olivia finished.

"Sorry, guys. A lot's happened with me and the guys," Samantha replied. Tonya quickly moved in and stood behind Olivia when she heard Samantha mention the guys. The others also gathered around, desperate to hear any news of their boyfriends.

"Are they alright?" Tonya inquired, sounding concerned.

"Don't you mean is **Raph** alright?" Olivia teased.

"Did I s-s-stutter? No," Tonya shot back, putting her hands on her hips. A blood-red corset was visible underneath her brown, leather jacket. Paired with dark, book-cut jeans, Tonya was being eyed by every boy who walked by. "I asked about **all** of them!"

"But seriously. How are they?" Makayla asked, but Sam read her eyes and knew that her biggest concern was for Leo, which strangely made her a little bit angry. Leo could watch his own back, and if he couldn't, then Samantha would be there to watch it for him. Makayla didn't need to worry. _Quit being like that, Sammy girl!_ she scolded herself silently. _You can't have **all** the guys to yourself. Stop being selfish! She makes Leo happy and you have an amazing boyfriend who saved your life when you were acting stupid! Get over the Fearless leader and answer her question._

"They're…not so good right now," Sam confessed.

"What happened? Are they hurt? Is Mikey…?" Olivia began to ask, but Samantha held up a hand and cut them off.

"We need to go someplace private," Samantha told them in a whisper as groups of students passed by the four girls. "We can't chance someone overhearing us."

"My roommates won't be back in until 5 this evening," Olivia suggested. "We can use my dorm room. The girls next door always have their stereo blasting, so we won't be overheard."

"Sounds good to me," Makayla seconded.

"Then what're we still standing around **here** for?!" Tonya demanded, shoving Olivia forward. "Lead the way, 'Liv!"

Inside Olivia's dorm room, Samantha instructed the girls to close all the windows. Thankfully, Olivia had been right about her neighbors. Their music was blasting so loud that she was certain that no one would overhear them talking. Hustling them into Olivia's room, she and Olivia sat on her unmade bed while Makayla took a pillow and sat on the floor and Tonya leaned back against Olivia's closet door.

"Alright. Now that we're through locking up this place like Alcatraz, start talking Sam," Tonya told her bluntly. "What's going on?"

"Alright," Samantha replied and then launched into a detailed account of everything that'd happened from the night Leo had been attacked by the Shredder's Foot Ninjas up until the destruction of the Foot's skyscraper just last night along with the disappearance of Master Splinter, the guys' sensei. She even told them of her suicide attempt (much to the horror of Olivia and Makayla and the anger of Tonya). When she was done her long tale, the Sun was beginning to sink in the west.

"So he just…vanished?" Makayla inquired.

"Yeah. All that was left behind was his walking stick," Samantha replied. "Uncle Kenji has private investigators combing the entire city, but so far…nothing."

"I feel bad for the guys," Olivia jumped in, her face somber.

"Well, then why don't we help them search for Splinter?" Tonya suggested. "I mean, they're pretty much family to us, so their father is kind of like our father."

"Tonya, you're brilliant!" Makayla exclaimed.

"Yeah, I know," Tonya answered, smiling smugly.

"There's just one big problem," Samantha cut in. "How the hell are you going to convince Leo to let you guys join in on the search? Because I know the first thing he's going to say is "no way"!"

"I'll talk to him," Makayla replied firmly. "He's a reasonable guy. Besides, we all know how to defend ourselves fairly well, so they don't have to worry about us being damsels-in-distress."

"Care's gonna wanna come along, just so you guys know," Tonya added, combing a hand through her red locks. "Lord knows that girl wants to be in everything that involves either butt-kicking action or search-and-rescue. But don't worry. I'll keep an eye on her."

"Alright," Samantha agreed. "Everyone go home and get ready. Wear something that's comfortable and dark in color, preferably black, but dark-blue will do as well. Then, meet at my house to get weapons and so that I can transport us all to the Lair. Taking the sewers would waste a lot of precious time. And time is the one thing that Master Splinter may be running out of."

* * *

Within an hour, all five girls were congregated in Samantha's bedroom, dressed in head-to-toe black. Samantha had armed them with smoke bomb pellets, shurikens and a _tanto_ for each of them (Caroline looked like a little girl who'd been given her favorite toy when she got hers). Her wakizashi was slung across her back, and her hair was held back by a dark headband.

"OK. Are we all set?" Samantha inquired.

"I have one request," Tonya jumped in. "Can we do this outside so that I can take Jess along too?"

"You brought your motorcycle?" Samantha asked.

"Yeah. Got a problem with that?" Tonya shot back, hands on her hips. Samantha noted that she'd simply changed her corset to a black one with black, leather pants and a black, leather jacket. That girl either really hating changing outfits or she was sticking to the corset to keep the attention of a certain hotheaded turtle. Samantha could've rolled her eyes. She'd heard Raph arguing with Paulina on the phone when they'd brought her home last night, and she knew that he was gonna end things with that uptight chick and start dating Tonya. But she couldn't really blame the girl. After all, if anyone changed his mind about girls more than anyone she knew, it was Raphael.

"Tonya!" Makayla scolded.

"Nope. No problem. But we can't do it somewhere that all of Westchester will see that Timothy Kenji's niece has a magic amulet," Samantha answered.

"Well duh!" Olivia jumped in.

"Behind your house, there are no neighboring houses or anything," Caroline suggested. "We could go there and do…whatever it is that you're gonna do."

"Nice plan, little sis," Tonya complimented, smiling proudly. "Sometimes, you do come in handy for things."

"Other than playing nursemaid to you when you get yourself into a fix and come home bloody and bruised?" Caroline prodded, smiling. Tonya rolled her eyes and gave her sister a punch in the shoulder before she smiled.

"Alright then. Let's go," Samantha told them. Hurrying down the stairs, Samantha saw a shiny, black chopper sitting in the driveway. _Raph's gonna be drooling all over that baby as much as he'll be drooling over the girl riding it! _Samantha thought to herself as Tonya wheeled the bike in front of her and followed the small group to the back of the house underneath the shade of an old, oak tree. Once they were all there, Samantha held her Amulet up in the air and concentrated hard on transporting the five girls and a motorcycle to the Lair. There was a flash of bright, blue light and when she opened her eyes, Samantha saw her, her friends and the motorcycle standing beside the small lake with the bridge over it.

"This is so COOL!" Caroline exclaimed, gazing all around the Lair in amazement. She looked like a little kid at Disneyland for the first time. Makayla and Tonya also looked amazed at the size and shape of the Lair. Olivia smiled, remembering the familiar place where she'd been brought and saved. Samantha led the girls over the bridge and onto the other side where the living room, dojo and kitchen were.

"Mikey? Raph? Leo? Don?" Makayla shouted.

"Hello? Who's there?" called Mikey, coming over from the living room. Then, he saw the five girls. "Sammy!" he cried, rushing over to her and hugging her tightly. Then, he noticed Olivia, Makayla, Tonya and a young girl who looked like Tonya's sister standing behind her. "Hey girls! What's up?!"

"We came to help with the search," Olivia replied, taking a step forward. Mikey immediately swept her into a tight hug which she was all too happy to return.

"The more the merrier, dudette!" Mikey told her, sounding completely happy that they were getting more help. Then, with an arm still around Olivia, he walked them into the living room. "Hey guys! Look who's come to be a part of our search party!"

April, who was dressed in a yellow ninja suit, was seated in an armchair and studying a map of the city, looked up and smiled at the girls. Don looked up and was relieved to see Samantha and torn between looking concerned and looking pleased to see Olivia and the other girls here as well.

"Hey Samantha. Olivia," April greeted. Then, she turned to the three other girls. "I don't think we've met before. I'm April O'Neil. What are your names?" Before any of the girls could answer, Mikey jumped in.

"That's Makayla. She's Leo's girlfriend," Mikey answered, pointing to Makayla. "And that's Tonya. She's Raph's girlfriend."

"Wow, Mikey! Exposure much?!" Makayla snapped, blushing at being called out on her relationship with the leader of the group. Tonya simply glared at Mikey, hoping that maybe her gaze would cause him to fall and have a heart attack or something.

"And you must be Tonya's sister," April jumped in, looking at Caroline. "You two look alike, so I'm guessing you're sisters."

"I'm Caroline. But you can call me Care if you want," Caroline said shyly, scuffing the floor of the Lair with her sneakers. April smiled. She looked about twelve, maybe thirteen, but she was shy and sweet like a five year old.

"So, where are Leo and Raph?" Samantha asked Don.

"They're around," Don replied. "But you know Leo's not going to agree with this."

"Let me talk to him, and we'll see if he won't change his mind," Makayla told Don. He stared at her as though he'd never seen her before in his life. Then, he nodded at Makayla before nodding to Mikey.

"Yo Leo! Raph! Your girlfriends are here!" Mikey shouted, earning him another glare from Tonya and an eye-roll from Makayla. "What?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"Mikey! How many times have I told you that…?!" Leo began scolding as he came into view, but he stopped short when he saw Makayla standing there with Samantha, Olivia, Tonya and a younger girl who looked like she was related to Tonya somehow. "Hey," he said, his eyes riveted on her.

"Hey," she replied, smiling slightly.

"Uh…what're you doing here?" Leo asked her.

"We've come to help you guys find Master Splinter," Makayla replied sincerely. Leo stared at her before shooting Samantha a look.

"I told them what happened, and they wanna help," Samantha said to him, knowing that the look he was giving her meant that he wanted an explanation for the girls' presence in the Lair. "I also told them that you wouldn't agree to it."

"You were right about that, Samantha," Leo said firmly. "There's **no way** I'm letting you girls come with us. It's too dangerous out there."

"Leonardo, I'm one step away from becoming an eighth level judo fighter," Makayla argued, putting her hands on her hips. "Olivia's a purple belt in karate, Sam's a kick-ass ninja and Tonya's got kickboxing moves that could probably floor **you**."

"Don't you girls have school tomorrow?" Leo inquired pointedly.

"It's Friday tomorrow, and we've all got the day off," Samantha answered. The other girls nodded, even Caroline.

"Look! We can either help you guys or we'll look for him on our own!" Tonya snapped. "Either way, we're looking for Splinter! I know it sounds kind of corny, but we're family now! And there's no way in Hell I'm letting my family search for one of theirs without helping them!"

"That goes double for me!" Olivia seconded.

"Triple that for me!" Samantha added.

"I wanna help too," Caroline jumped in.

"So do I. C'mon, Leo. Let us help you," Makayla reasoned. "We can cover twice as much ground, which could go a long way in finding him. Besides, Tonya's right. We're all family now. And I know how important Master Splinter is to you guys. Let us help you find your sensei. Please?" There was a long silence as Leo turned his back to the five girls. Then, he turned around and faced them.

"Alright," Leo surrendered. "But each of you is coming with one of us. We don't want to chance anything happening that could take our focus off of our mission. OK?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way, Leonardo," Tonya replied.

"So, how much ground have you guys already covered?" Makayla asked.

"OK. We've searched Shredder's building and every other place the Foot have been encountered," April informed the five girls, circling a spot on the map of the city. "We've scoured every sewer tunnel, back street and dark alleyway in the city…with only one area left."

"And no sign of him anywhere?" Olivia questioned.

"Nada," April replied, shaking her head. Don sighed and sheathed his bo staff before he stood up.

"The worst part is that we don't even know if Master Splinter is still…" Don allowed the ending of the sentence to remain unsaid.

"I don't even wanna think about that," Mikey said, twirling his nunchucks and then catching them in his hands like a pro.

"Me neither, Mikey," Samantha whispered, hugging herself tightly. "Me neither." She felt Don's arms wrap around her waist and leaned back against his plastron, closing her eyes and trying her hardest not to cry.

"Until we know otherwise, he's alive and awaiting our rescue," Leo told them firmly, sheathing his katanas. He turned his face away so as not to let his worry show and then felt a gentle touch on his shoulder. He turned and saw Makayla standing beside him. She smiled and nodded, telling him that she believed him and was reassuring him that they would find Master Splinter. He smiled and took the hand she'd placed on his shoulder in his own and kissed it lightly before holding it tightly in his grip. Tonya was watching Raph pummel his punching bag fiercely.

"Keep that up, and you'll burn out fast, Sai Boy," Tonya told him. He turned and couldn't help but allow his eyes to rove over her, his eyes resting on the corset underneath her leather jacket. He finally looked away and began pummeling the bag twice as hard. Then, in a blind fit of rage combined with his suppressed lust for Tonya, he took his sais out and slashed through the bag with both of them, causing the stuffing of the bag to ooze out and onto the floor.

"Dat's it! I'm done coming home empty-handed!" Raph shouted, twirling his sais and holding them in his hands like he was about to use them. "We find Splinter! TONIGHT!"

"We'll find him, Raph. But you acting like a hothead isn't gonna find him any faster," Tonya reasoned, stepping closer to him.

"Easy for **you** ta say! It ain't **your** father dat's missing, now is it?!" Raph snarled at her. Tonya stepped back and almost looked hurt before her eyes narrowed and her expression became hard.

"I know you did **not** just go there!" Tonya snapped, raising her fists. Caroline quickly rushed over and pinned her sister's arms behind her, holding her back from lunging at Raphael and pummeling him.

"Easy, Tonya! Easy!" Caroline grunted, struggling to hold on to her older sister.

"You know how my father was, how he still is, and you dare to say something that stupid?! What's your damn problem, Hamato Raphael?!" Tonya yelled, desperate to break free and land at least one punch to the hotheaded turtle. It was then that Raph's face got a remorseful look on it.

"Look, Tonya. I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said dat," Raph muttered. Tonya stopped struggling and Caroline released her grip on her older sister but stayed close by in case she was thinking of throwing a punch at Raphael.

"I'm sorry. You'll have to speak up," Tonya said, smirking. "I didn't quite catch that."

"I said, I'm sorry," Raph said at his regular volume.

"What was that?! Care's stereo was turned up really loud last night, so I…"

"I SAID I'M SORRY, WOMAN! GEEZ!" Raph yelled, sheathing his sais before he lost it and threw one of them at her. Tonya smirked.

"Much better," she chuckled. Raph muttered something about women and was storming past Tonya when she grabbed his arm and held him back.

"Listen Sai…Raph. I was just irking you to try and get you out of this anger funk that you seem to be caught in," Tonya explained. "I know how Splinter means to you. Trust me. I know what it's like to lose a parent. But thank God that you at least have a hope that your parent might still be alive. I know for sure mine isn't." She looked away from her and swallowed hard, desperate to fight back her tears as she thought of her mother, her best friend, the only _real_ parent she'd ever had. She felt Raph's hand seize hers and squeeze it.

"It's alright, Tonya," he whispered to her, drawing her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. "It'll be alright."

"Sorry," Tonya replied, wiping her eyes. "I'm such a baby, aren't I?"

"It's natural to be like dat when ya lose someone that ya were close to," Raph said consolingly. "Remember, ya can't be a rock all da time."

"Ever taken your own advice, Raph?" she shot back playfully. Raph smirked at her.

"Dat sounds more like da Tonya I know," he chuckled, his fingers brushing the exposed skin of her waist. She smiled and her eyes almost rolled back in her head at the feel of his touch on her skin.

"Gross!" Caroline yelped, storming off. Raph and Tonya held back their laughter as the thirteen year old went off muttering about being scarred and mentally assaulted by the sight of Raph touching his girlfriend's bare skin in such a loving way.

"Ya buy dis corset with me in mind, babe?" he asked her.

"Why? Ya like it?" Tonya asked, smiling. He nodded, smirking at her as his palms began caressing the exposed flesh. She closed her eyes and tried her hardest not to moan out loud. Damn he was good! "C'mon, Sai Boy," she whispered, laughing at the scowl on his face as she seized his hand. "We've got a giant rat to find in the Big Apple. Let's get searching."

* * *

Samantha cruised across the skies of the city, her vision red but alert for any signs of the giant rat on any of the rooftops. But the constant result was nothing but bare rooftops and the odd couple on them making out. She turned to the left and caught up with Donny, who was soaring along on his hang glider, his Night Vision goggles on and scanning the area for any signs of Master Splinter. He looked at her and his face visibly fell when she shook her head "no", the answer to the silent question of if she'd found anything. Soaring across the waterfront, there was still no sign of Master Splinter. Samantha felt her heart sinking. Where could he be? Then, her Shell Cell started ringing and she turned answered it, enabling it to a conference call mode so that she could hear the others' responses too.

"Please tell me someone found **something**!" Leo said from the other end of the phone.

"Olivia and I are done down here. Nada in the sewers," Mikey told him from the Sewer Slider.

"Samantha and I have swept through all five boroughs. Nothing on the roofs either," Don answered as he and Samantha soared across the skies.

"Nothing in the junkyard, either," April answered from the Battle Shell with Caroline. "Lots of rats, but none of them ours."

"MAN! WHERE IS HE?!" Raph shouted from the headset of his motorcycle helmet as he and Tonya cruised through the streets of New York on their bikes.

"Keep it cool Raph," Leo told him firmly. "We'll find him."

"Leo's right, Raph," Samantha heard Tonya say to her hotheaded, turtle boyfriend. "We'll find him." Just then, Samantha heard someone screaming and then heard Raph say, "Buddy! You picked da wrong night!" before hearing a motorcycle engine rev up and then the screeching of tires.

"Raphael! Wait up!" she heard Tonya shout before revving her own engine and taking off after the hotheaded turtle.

"We've gotta track Raph and Tonya," Samantha told Don. He nodded and piloted the hang glider back towards the city, taking out his Shell Cell and tracking the two.

"What's he doing now?" Leo inquired as he and Makayla hurried across the rooftops, tracking Raph and Tonya.

"What Raph's good at: getting into trouble," Samantha replied as she and Don soared across the skies, following the signals until they reached the spot where Raph and Tonya's signals were halted. Gliding down, they saw Raph holding a carjacker in his hand, ready to pummel him. Tonya was just cruising onto the scene on her chopper, eyes wide with shock when she saw Raph with the car thief. Mikey and Olivia came running onto the scene the same moment that Makayla and Leo leapt down from the rooftops.

"Let him go, Raph," Leo told him firmly. Raph growled and then threw the man to the ground, said, "Beat it" and watched as he took off, terrified.

"Raphael, this doesn't help anything," Leo advised.

"Helps more dan ya think!" Raph snapped, throwing down his helmet hard against the pavement.

"Ya gotta admit: the dude knows how to blow off steam," Mikey commented.

"I usually take my frustrations out on a** pillow**," Olivia whispered. "**Not** peoples' faces."

"Your name's not Raphael, the Impatient and Hotheaded Mutant Ninja Turtle, 'Liv," Mikey reminded her, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Look, Raph. If we're going to find Master Splinter, we have to keep a lid on it," Leo replied.

"Prowling around ain't cuttin' it anymore, Leo!" Raph shouted. "We need something solid ta go on!" Just then, images began flashing before Samantha's eyes. She gasped as she saw a golden medallion, an office building, and inside the strange laboratory she'd seen in her dreams…Master Splinter, floating in one of the orange pods. She moaned and fell to her knees, clutching her head.

"Samantha! What's wrong?!" Leo asked her worriedly as Don and Olivia helped her to her feet. He saw that the Amulet was glowing and knew that the _tengu_ had acted up. But she wasn't angry…unless she was hiding it from him.

"Another vision. Like the one I had at April's place the night the Shredder came back and almost killed us," Samantha gritted out.

"What did you see?" Mikey asked.

"An office building," Samantha replied. "And…Master Splinter. In some sort of weird sci-fi movie-looking laboratory. He was in a huge orange pod filled with some sort of liquid."

"Master Splinter?!" Leo repeated in shock.

"Was he alive?!" Raph demanded.

"I…I couldn't tell," Samantha replied.

"Anything else?" Leo asked.

"A medallion. Don. Do you have paper and a pencil on you?"

"Yeah," he replied, reaching into his bag of tricks. He handed her a pad of paper and a pencil. Samantha quickly flipped to an empty page and quickly drew the medallion she'd seen in her vision.

"It was gold and it looked like this," she replied, pointing to the drawing. It was then that she had a brief flashback to last night when they'd battled the Shredder. "And I think we've all seen it before."

"Of course," Don realized. "The Guardians. If ya think about it, right after Splinter disappeared, **they** disappeared."

"Yeah. Hey! They could've taken him easy!" Mikey added.

"Somehow we gotta hook up with one of dose guys!" Raph said, fist clenched.

"Ya know Raph? We may have something to go on," Leo told him.

"One question: who are The Guardians?" Makayla inquired.

"They're supposedly our allies," Don explained. "They helped us during our battle with the Shredder last night and then just disappeared. Right after Master Splinter did."

"So you guys think these Guardians might've taken Master Splinter?" Tonya asked.

"It's possible," Don replied.

"And I think I know just what we need to do to flush them out," Samantha said, grinning. "I've got a plan." Just then, the Battle Shell rolled into view with April at the helm and Caroline riding shotgun. But it wasn't purring like it usually did. It was sputtering more and jerking almost.

"Sorry! After your patch job on this thing, even my grandma's tractor handles better," April apologized. Just then, the sound of police sirens nearby made all of them tense up. "C'mon guys! Cops are combing the neighborhood!"

"Maybe** I** should drive," Don suggested as the guys and the girls climbed into the back of the Battle Shell.

"Nah! I think I'm getting the hang of it!" April told him. Don climbed into the Battle Shell and then April sped off, swerving left and right, sending everybody tumbling around in the Battle Shell as they headed for the destroyed Foot Headquarters.

* * *

Samantha was lying in wait in the shadows of the partially demolished building which had once housed her father's murderer's ninja army and weapons. A dummy of the Shredder sat in the shadows, far enough so that the trick wasn't given away, but close enough so that the Guardian who came to investigate the reactivated Foot symbol on the skyscraper (thanks to Don's wiring job) would be fooled into thinking that it really was the Shredder.

"Think this'll work?" whispered Mikey.

"It has to," Samantha replied under her breath. "Finding Master Splinter depends on us flushing out the Guardians and asking them what they know."

"It'll work, Sam," Don reassured her, giving her a quick shoulder squeeze. "It's a brilliant plan."

"Shh! Someone's coming!" Leo hissed, spying movement from outside the demolished doors of the destroyed inner temple of the Shredder. Samantha, from her shadowed hiding place, spotted a man wearing a grey trench coat, black pants and a golden medallion. A Guardian. She smiled to herself. So far, so good. The Guardian, upon seeing the dummy Shredder, quickly reached into his coat and drew out a glowing sword. Leaping through the air, he sliced the dummy Shredder down and, when he looked, saw that it was just that…a dummy with a melon for a head and a "Kick Me" sign on it. Samantha could've patted herself on the back for coming up with this brilliant plan (except for the "Kick Me" sign. That had been Mikey's idea).

"WHAT?!" the Guardian snarled. Just then, Mikey stepped out from his hiding place behind the Guardian and started snickering. Enraged, the Guardian's sword swept around and almost hit Mikey, stopping just in time.

"Whoa! Whoa! Wait! Wait!" Mikey pleaded, the glowing sword inches from slicing him. His hands were up in surrender. Samantha, Leo, Don and Raph all leapt down from their hiding places and surrounded the Guardian. Raph had his sais out, but Samantha only kept a hand on the hilt of her sword just in case it was needed.

"Easy! We're not here to fight!" Leo told him.

"If you lay a trap for me, then be prepared to fight!" the Guardian snapped, not lowering the sword an inch.

"Our bad!" Mikey apologized. "Now…do you suppose...you could…maybe…?" He pointed at the sword, which didn't move an inch.

"We're looking for answers, that's all," Don informed him.

"Look elsewhere!" the Guardian growled.

"Cool! Elsewhere it is! Now, do you suppose that you could put that sword elsewhere?!" Mikey asked, stealthily dropping a Turtle Tracking Device onto the blade.

"Our Master's missing! We intend ta find him!" Raph snapped, sheathing his sais. The Guardian was silent for a moment before he sheathed his sword beneath his coat.

"**I **cannot help you!" the Guardian told them sharply, walking away from them.

"Guardian! You shook hands with my friend Leonardo here and called him ally," she reminded him. He stopped, his back still turned to them. "Please! As our ally, just tell us if Master Splinter is alright!"

"I…cannot say," he replied, his face giving away nothing as he threw down a smoke pellet and vanished.

"Mikey?" Leo asked.

"One Turtle Tracker duly planted," Mikey replied, winking.

"Then let's find out whether our "ally" is hiding something other than a glowing sword!" Samantha told them, allowing the others to take the lead as they followed the Guardian across the city with the Battle Shell miles behind so as not to attract attention. Finally, they tracked him down to an office building. It was gold in color and had blue, glass windows. _The building from my vision!_ Samantha thought to herself. _Master Splinter's **got** to be inside!_

"It's just an office building," Leo observed.

"So was Shredder's," Raph reminded him. "And dat place nearly took us out!"

"It's not just an office building," Samantha told them. All four turtles stared at her. "It's the building from my vision. Somehow this building, the Guardians and my vision about Master Splinter are connected."

"Let's find out for sure," Don replied, taking out a small surveillance turtle. Stealthily, he planted it on the floor, knocked on the door and then watched as a man came outside, opened it, and then failed to see the small turtle slip inside the building before he closed the door.

"When do you find so much spare time to invent stuff like this?" Samantha asked the techno turtle, impressed as she watched the miniature turtle spy camera walking around inside the building. April had arrived with the girls and the Battle Shell and they'd all climbed in to see the miniature turtle's video feed to Don's handheld device. He was piloting it using a joystick.

"In-between coming up with new theories and recreating your uncle's security system," Don answered as everyone crowded around the screen. "Now, let's see what's behind Door Number One." Suddenly, the mini turtle was sent into a tailspin. Once Don managed to get it under control, Samantha could see the lens showing the name of the company that owned the building. Techno –Cosmic Research Institute. T.C.R.I. _T.C.R.I?_ Samantha thought to herself in shock. _The letters from my dream! That means…it can't be! _Samantha took a step back and almost slammed right into Leo, who caught her as she stumbled.

"What's got you so freaked out, Samantha?" Leo inquired, worried.

"It's the name of the company," Samantha replied. The girls all stared at her as though she was nuts. Raph and April looked concerned, and Don was frozen in his place.

"What's wrong with the name?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah. What's so special about it?" Mikey inquired. It was then that Donatello turned around and, after meeting his girlfriend's eyes and seeing that she understood what he did, turned to Mikey.

"Say the first letter in each word," Don instructed.

"What. T.C.R.I.," Mikey said, looking bored. "Sorry. It's not ringing any…_bells_." Mikey looked at Leo, who looked at Raph, who was just as shocked as they both were.

"T.C.R.I.?" Raph repeated in shock, looking at Leo. "That's the…the…!"

"The…the…the…!" Mikey continued, clutching his head.

"The _what_?!" asked Tonya and April at the same time.

"Yeah! Tell us!" Caroline and Olivia demanded.

"And why do you guys suddenly look as pale as ghosts?" Makayla added, seeing Leo's skin almost blanch.

"T.C.R.I. was printed on the canister of ooze that mutated us into what we are," Leo finally said, looking shocked.

"And those were the four letters I saw in that dream I had last night," Samantha added. "The vision and the dream must be connected!"

"The secret to our origin could very be within the walls of that building," Don told them.

"And if vision and dream are intertwined…so could Master Splinter," Samantha breathed.

"OK. Let's snoop around," Don said, maneuvering the small turtle camera around and down a hallway. Everyone leaned in for a closer look. Don stopped and looked at them. "You guys are sucking the oxygen right out of my personal space here." Everyone muttered apologies and then stepped back, allowing Don to resume his control of the miniature camera before leaning in close again.

"Jackpot! The Security Control Room!" Don exclaimed. "The brains to their security system!"

"Can you look under that door to see what we're up against?" Leo asked him.

"Sure," Don said, maneuvering the camera's lens under the door. However, at that moment, the door was flung wide open, the camera sent into a wild tailspin, and was then crushed by the wheels of a trolley. The screen sizzled and then went dark.

"Damn! We lost the picture!" Tonya hissed.

"Master Splinter could be in there. Answers we've been looking for our entire lives could be in there," Leo said, clenching his fist. "Which means…**we're** going in there."

* * *

"But we wanna come too!" Caroline protested as the Turtles and Samantha climbed out of the Battle Shell.

"No way, Care," Samantha answered firmly. "Your sister and the girls aren't even coming."

"Which we still think is unfair," Tonya voiced, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Look. We ain't goin' through dis again, Tonya!" Raph snapped. "Even I think it's too dangerous for you guys ta come! And de only reason da Princess has got a green light is 'cause of those visions she had!"

"But what if something happens to you?" Makayla asked, looking at Leo. He smiled and patted her hand reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Mac," he told her calmly. "We'll be fine. You guys just sit tight, watch over the Battle Shell, and help April and Casey. Alright?"

"Fine. But we're coming with you next time and kicking some serious butt to make up for this!" Olivia informed him. Mikey chuckled and kissed Olivia on the forehead.

"That's my girl!" he chuckled, stroking her hair before he leapt out of the Battle Shell.

"Take care of our girl, you four!" Makayla told them, sounding serious.

"Or else!" Tonya added, raising a fist at them.

"Don't worry. She's in good hands," Don reassured them, placing his hands on Samantha's shoulders. Smiling, the young ninja placed her hands over his as if to prove his point. The girls all smiled, except for Caroline, who pretended to be barfing. Rolling her eyes, Samantha said her goodbyes to the girls before following the guys up to the roof. Leo had a bow and arrow in his hand. The arrow had a rope around the arrowhead. Leo slid the arrow onto the bow, pulled back on the bowstring, took a deep breath and then released the arrow. It sailed across to the T.C.R.I. roof and then buried itself firmly in it. Samantha and the others applauded.

"Nicely done, Robin Hood," she told Leo, smiling. He shrugged modestly. Tying off on the other end, the five ninjas walked a tightrope across the road below to the roof of the T.C.R.I. building. Samantha visibly breathed a sigh of relief. She _hated_ heights.

"Guys! This isn't going to work!" April informed them through the earpiece. She'd obviously made it inside the Security room. For once, Casey was proving to be the perfect distraction.

"What's the problem, April?" Don asked as they pressed against the ledge of the roof out of sight of the cameras.

"I don't recognize the technology!"April replied in frustration. "Nothing makes sense in here! I can't turn off the roof alarms or the cameras!"

"Uh…anybody got a Plan B?" Mikey inquired.

"April, we'll handle the cameras! Just get the alarms turned off any way you can!" Don instructed.

"Guys, we're good to go!" April informed them. "The roof sensors are off!"

"Yes!" Samantha hissed, punching the air. "Nice job, April! I knew you could do it!"

"Thanks, Samantha," April replied, sounding quite happy. "Now, you and the guys do your thing."

"You know it!" Mikey jumped in. Don, using a pigeon puppet (which Samantha found **so **weird) was able to distract the camera long enough for Leo to take a picture of the city and place it in front of the camera. After finding out that the ventilation shaft was a fake, they decided to cut through a window. Using suction cups, they scaled along the glass and April directed them to a window on the ninth floor where they could cut into the glass without triggering any alarms. Don, however, discovered it was a hologram. Mikey, unfortunately, jumped the gun when he found that out, and ended up sinking right through the glass before a huge, blue ball of light knocked him backwards out of the hologram. He lost his balance and fell from the glass, sending him crashing into Don, who also plummeted with him from the building.

"Donny! Mikey!" Raph yelled. Samantha quickly pulled off her suction cups from her hands and shot down like an arrow after them. Her red vision was a sign that the _tengu's_ powers were once again operational, and she quickly grabbed Don and Mikey not a second too soon. Flying them back up to the others, they quickly regained a hold on the glass with their suction cups. Raph and Leo looked relieved to see all three of them unhurt.

"Thanks Sammy," Mikey told her gratefully. "We owe ya one."

"Ya wanna owe me?" she asked pointedly. "Never pull something like that ever again! You scared me half to death!" Thankfully, April was able to shut off the security in the exhaust vent on the ninth floor, allowing them to slip inside. However, they lost all communications with April as soon as they stepped further inside.

"Must be some sort of signal dampener in here," Don theorized. They slipped down through a grating and kept out of sight long enough to find a room with five doors. Samantha opened one and saw that it was exactly the same as the other one.

"This is weird," she said to the others.

"Split up and meet back here in five," Leo instructed. Everyone nodded and then went through a door. Samantha turned left, then right, then continued right and bumped into Don. Then she went left again and then took another left before going right. Finally, she took one more right and ended up back in the hallway with the four Turtles.

"That was déjà vu!" Mikey exclaimed.

"I feel like a lab rat searching for a piece of cheese," Raph commented.

"All these rooms look the same to throw people off," Don theorized. "Whatever's going on here, these people are desperate to keep it under wraps." Just then, Samantha heard what sounded like an elevator stopping on their floor.

"Someone's coming!" she hissed. Leo quickly opened a door and the five ducked inside. It was a blond-haired man and a dark-haired man carting yellow containers. But they didn't look like any type of liquid Samantha had ever seen in a building. They were talking about Casey's "distraction" no doubt, which Sam found sort of amusing. For once, Casey had done something right. Once the men were further down the hallway, the five emerged from hiding.

"Mikey and I can see where that elevator leads to," Don whispered, pointing to the elevator.

"And Raph, Samantha and I will ghost those two," Leo replied, pointing to the two men. There was a consenting nod, and then the group split up. Samantha, Raph and Leo took off after the two men who were looking after the weird, yellow containers. Silent as mice, they saw the two round a bend. Peering around, the three ninjas saw a blank wall and no sign of their targets.

"What the…?" Samantha asked.

"Where'd dey go?" Raph inquired. Leo slowly walked forward and took out a katana blade before sticking it into the wall. It vibrated just like the window outside had.

"Holographic," he whispered. "Without the booby trap."

"Den let's do it!" Raph hissed. Samantha walked with the two turtles through the holographic wall and emerged in a weird, red-colored hallway. Further ahead was a room where those yellow canisters were being unloaded. Samantha hid beside Raph out of sight.

"OK. Decontamination pods have been refilled," the blond guy said before he and his partner rolled away out of sight. The three ninjas darted forward and hid close to the orange pods that were bubbling with liquid.

"I hate to think of what these creeps have done to Master Splinter!" Raph growled.

"We don't even know if he's here," Leo countered.

"My vision and the dream haven't been wrong so far, Leo," Samantha whispered. "He's gotta be here!"

"Sam's right. He's here alright!" Raph seconded. "I can feel it!" Just then, Samantha heard a voice say over the loudspeakers, "Attention. This is an intruder alert! All search protocols are in effect! We have a breach! Repeat, we have a breach!"

"Man! What alarm did Mikey trip **this **time?!"Samantha growled.

"We have to move!" Leo shouted. "C'mon!" Seizing Samantha's hand, the three quickly ran out of the room and into a hallway, where Samantha almost screamed as they were chased by flying, pink blobs that were wearing exo-suits and firing lasers at them.

"Now this part of the dream, I remember!" Samantha yelled as they dodged the lasers and reached a fork in the path.

"This way!" Leo shouted, seizing Raph's wrist as well and pulling the two through the passageway on the right. Hiding in the shadows, the three waited and then leapt down and attacked. Samantha did a flip kick and managed to grab one of the shock staves from them before using it on another one. Leo and Raph both kicked shell with their usual style and skill, but it was no use. Those exo-suits were not easy to combat against.

"We take 'em out, but dey keep comin'!" Raph observed as the three ninjas backed away from the advancing aliens. Their backs hit a door, which opened to reveal Mikey and Donny. Samantha breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fancy meeting you here!" Mikey joked.

"I'd smack you Mikey, but we've got half a dozen aliens in exo-suits headed our way, so you're lucky!" Samantha snapped.

"C'mon! This way!" Don shouted, seizing Samantha's hand and pulling her to the front with him as the five ran down the hallway and through a door. Don, Mikey and Samantha shoved hard against a piece of machinery nearby. The three shoved hard, and it finally collapsed, blocking the doorway and any alien pursuit. The three smiled at each other for a job well done, but then smiles turned into looks of horror as they took in the hundreds of orange pods that were before them.

"Matrix City!" Mikey exclaimed as they walked towards the pods. Inside were more of the little aliens, and they appeared to be resting.

"The pods from my dream!" Samantha breathed in horror. "This is it! This is the room! The dream and the vision were right! Master Splinter's **got** to be in here!"

"Let's not jump to any conclusions, Samantha," Leo cautioned.

"What is dis place?" Raph inquired. "A morgue?" The young woman shivered and looked forward, gasping aloud.

"GUYS!" Samantha screamed, pointing to one of them a bit further down. The Turtles came rushing to her side and Leo was the first to see where she was pointing to.

"Look!" Leo shouted. There, inside a pod, was Master Splinter. The five ninjas sprinted towards the pod, and Don and Samantha both climbed up to investigate the nearby console.

"Oh man!" Mikey shouted in horror. "Is he…?! Is he…?!"

"I don't think so," Don replied and Samantha felt a weight lift from her chest. "This looks more like some sort of bio-suspension unit. He's probably in stasis."

"Den let's cut him out!" Raph snarled, taking out his sais. With a look from Sam, Leo held him back.

"Cutting into something we know nothing about is foolish, Raph," Samantha advised. "This type of technology is foreign to us."

"We might do more harm than good!" Leo added.

"Sam and Leo are right! We don't understand this technology," Don replied.

"We can't just leave him in there!" Mikey protested. "Don! Figure something out!"

"OK! Just…uh…give me a minute to study this," Don answered, looking down at the console. Samantha looked at it as well, but this stuff was foreign; and not from anywhere on Earth. Just then, there was a huge explosion that sent Samantha and the Turtles flying across the room. Samantha looked up and saw that the aliens were back. Her wakizashi was out like lightning. No way were a bunch of little, pink aliens from some other planet going to hurt her family!

"Let's kick some alien butt!" she declared before leaping into the air and kicking out at one of them. Blue lasers were being fired at them, but they five friends dodged them and attacked whenever they could. Just then, Samantha whipped around and saw one of the aliens firing at the console that housed Master Splinter's bio-suspension unit. She saw Don leap into the way of the shot that would've hit the console and was blasted hard by the laser into another room.

"DON!" Samantha and Leo yelled. Samantha took off like a track star and was by Donatello's side in minutes.

"Donny?! Donny?!" Samantha shouted, patting his cheeks. He weakly stirred and she felt his hand on her face. She felt tears of joy running down her cheeks. The others came running in and helped her get Donatello onto a strange, flat-surfaced machine.

"Stop! Listen to me!" cried a man with purple hair and was wearing glasses. He had on a black suit, but Samantha guessed that he was probably an alien too. "You must get off of there IMMEDIATELY!" Just then, Samantha heard a sound like something was being powered up. She looked at the four, mutant turtles and saw the same realization in their faces that she wore on hers. Samantha tried to walk, but it was as if her feet were planted to the surface of the strange device they were on.

"I can't move my feet!" Mikey shouted.

"Ditto!" Samantha yelled in panic as she saw a blue light glowing from beside them. The noise of the machine was growing louder and louder, and the light seemed to be glowing brighter and brighter.

"I can't stop it! It's too late!" the man cried from beside a console. Those were the last words that Samantha Bushido heard. The noise of the machine drowned out any other words the man was saying, and a bright light then engulfed her and her friends. That was all Samantha saw before the entire world suddenly went black.

**Mikey: So, what's the plan for today? **

**Leo: Training. We all need it.  
**

**Me: *walks in with Kimmie98* Hey guys! What's up?  
**

**Don: We were just going to start training. Who's your friend.  
**

**Kimmie98: Hi. I'm Kimmie98, but you guys can call me Kim.  
**

**Mikey: Awesome! I'm Mikey, Kim! Ya know, you're named after one of my favorite teen heroes: Kim Possible!  
**

**Kimmie98: That's cool Mikey!  
**

**Don: Hey. I'm Donatello. It's nice to meet you, Kim. *shakes Kim's hand*  
**

**Kimmie98: Nice to meet you too, Donatello.  
**

**Leo: Hey. I'm Leo. And it's _very_ nice to meet _you_, Kim. *kisses her hand*  
**

**Kimmie98: Yeah. Not sure that your girlfriend Makayla would approve of you flirting behind her back, Leo!  
**

**Mikey: Ouch! That's _gotta_ hurt!  
**

**Raph: What's going on here?!  
**

**Kimmie98: OH MY GOD! RAPHAEL! *squeals and then tackles Raph to the ground***

**Raph: *pushes Kimmie98 off of him and stares at her like "What the hell? Who are you?"*  
**

**Kimmie98: Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! It's just...I'm your biggest fan, and I'm so excited that I finally get to meet you! You're my favorite turtle out of all of you four! I mean, the way you always dash off into action, how you're never afraid to take a few hits or fight it out! It's just so...! And you're so strong! I mean, those muscles of yours are to DIE for! And your eyes are gorgeous! Amber is SUCH a sexy color! Plus your accent is so...incredible! Tonya is SO lucky that she has you!  
**

**Raph: *smirks* I think I like _this_**** one!  
**

**Mikey: *pouts and puts on puppy dog face* Hey! What about me?!  
**

**Kimmie98: Aw, Mikey! Don't worry! You're so cute and sweet that you could walk into a room full of strangers and make friends with everybody in less than five minutes! Plus, your sense of humor is amazing!  
**

**Mikey: Awesome!  
**

**Leo: Well...let's get on with training, shall we?  
**

**Kimmie98: Can I come and watch?!  
**

**Raph: The more the merrier!  
**

**Don: Sure. Why not?  
**

**Mikey: Totally!  
**

**Leo: Whatever.  
**

**Me: Leo! Be nice! *Me and Kimmie98 watch the guys train. Watch Leo and Raph spar until Raph wins. Watch Don and Mikey spar and Mikey wins. Watch Mikey and Raph spar. Raph wins*  
**

**Don: I think that's enough training for one day.  
**

**Kimmie98: I have to get going. But thanks for letting me watch you guys train. Bye Mikey! Bye Don! Bye Leo!  
**

**Mikey: Later Kim! Come back soon!  
**

**Don: Bye Kim! It was nice meeting you!  
**

**Leo: See ya.  
**

**Kimmie98: Bye...Raph!  
**

**Raph: *smirks at Kimmie98* Come back anytime! *winks while smirking at Kimmie98*  
**

**Kimmie98: *blushes red and rushes out of the room before she loses oxygen*  
**

**Raph: She just made my day.  
**

**Me: Wow. Content Raph? I should do more visiting fans like this more often!  
**

**Dun dun dun dum! Cliffhanger! But don't worry! I'll update tomorrow! Reviews are what feed my creativity, my readers, so use that little button at the bottom of the screen! Guys, please continue to tell friends and readers about this little story of mine! Seeing my story reaching other countries across the globe really makes me happy! Remember: if you wanna be a visiting fan, then PM me and I'll see when you want to come in and interact with the boys in green! Happy reading!  
**

**-Livangel16  
**


	43. Chapter 43

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers who make this writer so happy: grapejuice101, pokemonjkl, Aster Sapphire, I Love Kittens too, IceColdFever, ****IAmTheDragonEmpress, flamedragon242, Melony Wynters, LunaMoonlight100, Kimmie98, bell-13-tmnt-lover, ninja-warrior101, RAHELA, Wingnut2.0 and WolfAssassin369! You guys are honestly AMAZING and I hope to see more reviews from you until the end of this story! So, this is it...season 2 begins and we're in space! Wanna find out what happens? Then enjoy this very long chapter and review! Happy reading!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Forty-Three

_Andromeda, Sidion Galaxy_

_Palace of the President of the Intergalactic Council _

President Jonas Bushido stood facing the window and he was gazing out at the skies of Andromeda. He was anxiously looking out for the young woman named Samantha. Mortu had called him and told him that she was heading towards Andromeda after she had somehow diverted from four other terrapin creatures that were in the Sidion galaxy. At first, he hadn't wanted to believe it, but when Mortu had showed him footage of the girl and her friends being beamed into outer space directly into his sector. Jonas had been riveted by how much like Akiye she looked like; except for her eyes. He smiled. Bushido had at least managed to give her one significant physical trait from his familial DNA. His personality probably matched hers to a T as well. But he would see when the girl was brought to him.

"Marion!" he shouted, summoning the Captain of his Guard. The tall, blond humanoid came and stood before him, arrayed in a uniform of red and royal-blue, the official colors of the planet Andromeda. He was handsome and Jonas had no doubt that the girl would instantly be smitten with him as hundreds of girls on Andromeda were already throwing themselves at the valiant, handsome military captain.

"You summoned me, sir?" Captain Marion inquired.

"There's a terrapin girl from Earth about to land in the marketplace," Jonas informed him, handing him a photograph of Samantha from the video that Mortu had sent him. "Bring her to me at once."

"Yes sir," Marion replied, saluting the President before massing a squadron of I.G.C. troops and headed, armed and prepared for a potential fight, to the marketplace.

* * *

Samantha felt like she'd been turned inside out and then back to normal again. Her neck and back felt as stiff as boards. Clutching her head, she opened her eyes and saw that she was standing next to a stall of what looked like fruits in a crowded market. But it wasn't like any marketplace that she'd seen in New York, Japan or anywhere on Earth for that matter. That could only mean…she was in outer space! _No way!_ she thought to herself as she stepped a bit away from the stall. _I can't be in outer space! And without a helmet! Shouldn't my head be exploding or something? _She took a breath and then inhaled. Oxygen. There was oxygen on this planet? This was crazy.

Studying the area around her, Samantha could see that this planet certainly was lively. There were blue-skinned aliens, aliens with six legs, four arms and even some that appeared as though they were human like she was. All of them were busy mingling with vendors, buying products or just standing around chatting with one another.

"Man! What is this place guys?" she asked. There was no response. She looked all around her and saw no sign of the guys. Her eyes widened with terror. "OK, guys. This isn't funny. Come on out. Mikey? Leo? Raph? D…Don?" Still there was no answer, and Samantha felt something akin to dread sliding over her skin. She began walking through the marketplace, scanning everywhere for the four, mutant turtles.

"Leonardo?! Donatello?! Michelangelo?! Raphael?!" she shouted, earning scowls and glares from several of the aliens nearby, but she didn't care. "Where are you guys?!" But none of the four familiar voices answered her. And as she continued to walk through the crowded market, calling their names, it was slowly beginning to dawn on Samantha that she was all alone.

* * *

_On the Planet Dhoonib, Sidion Galaxy_

_Leo's POV_

My head was spinning like crazy when that bright light faded away. My brothers were probably as stiff and sore as I felt, but looking around, I immediately guessed that this wasn't anywhere on Earth. And if we weren't on Earth anymore, then we weren't anywhere near Master Splinter. My heart sank as I remembered our Sensei floating in that bio-suspension chamber in that alien lab. He was so helpless and now, he was so far from us and whatever help we could give him.

"Man! I feel like I've been turned inside out and back again!" Raph groaned, cracking his neck.

"That light! The strange lab! Those weird robot aliens! Where'd they go?" Mikey asked.

"You mean, "where'd **we** go?"" I told him.

"What do you think, Samantha?" Don asked. There was no answer, and as I turned my head and looked all around, there was no sign of the ninja princess anywhere. Dread and panic immediately began filling my veins, but I had to keep cool and calm for the others.

"Sammy?! Sammy?! SAMMY WHERE ARE YOU?!" Mikey yelled at the top of his lungs, looking wildly around.

"Yo Princess! Dis ain't funny!" Raph snapped. "So if dis is some kinda joke, knock it off RIGHT NOW!" There was no response, no giggle; nothing. Just utter silence. Raph's face immediately turned from angry to worried.

"Where the shell is she?!" Mikey demanded. I'd never heard Mikey sound so freaked out before. Not even when Raph stole his Silver Sentry comics and almost burned them with a lit match. But then again, Samantha had become an integral part of our family. She had a special place in all our hearts, including mine. There were times when I felt as though I'd become a different turtle ever since Samantha had stepped into our lives. Sure, Don was the one you could see the most obvious change in since they were dating, but Samantha Bushido had changed all of our lives. Now, she was missing and it felt as though a part of me was missing as well. It was my responsibility to protect her and the Amulet from harm. If anything happened to her, it would be my fault. And the guilt of that would be more than I could bear.

"We don't even know where **we** are, Mikey!" Raph snapped at our youngest brother. He sounded even more irritated than usual.

"I'm guessing that it's somewhere we're not supposed to be," Don said, gulping as we whirled around and saw about a dozen or so armed men with laser guns that were charged and looked lethal.

"The natives don't look too friendly," Mikey whispered to me.

"I think our best defense might be…" I began to say.

"Some serious buttkickin' ninja action!" Raph finished, twirling his sais. My katana swords were out like lightning and Don and Mikey drew their weapons as well as we leapt into battle. Master Splinter had always warned us about being too confident in our ninja skills. But I couldn't help but think that these weird guys with their fancy laser guns were no match for me and my brothers. Especially after I sliced three of the barrels of these guns off and took out the soldiers using them. When the last two bit the dust, my brothers and I quickly gathered around them, confused by what those troops were doing firing at us.

"What the shell was **that** all about?" I asked my brothers.

"Whatever it is, it's not over! Look!" Don shouted, pointing down the alley. Bright searchlights hit the walls and were growing brighter and closer to where we were. Those troops we just took down must've called for backup.

"Well, guys? Fight or flight?" I asked, drawing my swords out and getting into a fighting stance.

"I vote "fight"," Raph said in that voice that meant he was ready to go down fighting. As usual.

"You **always** vote "fight"!" Mikey complained.

"Umm…excuse me?! Hello? Terrapin beings?!" called a strange voice. We all turned and saw a silver robot standing in a doorway that had once been sealed off, waving at us. "Yes! **You**! This way! Hurry!" Then it disappeared. I stared at my brothers and then back down the alley where more of the soldiers were advancing towards us before they aimed their guns at us and began firing. There was no way we could take on so many, so we decided to trust this robot and dodged the lasers, taking shelter momentarily inside what looked like an abandoned building of some sort.

"Hurry! Hurry! Those Federation troops won't give up a chase so easily!" the robot shouted from a staircase. Following it up the long, winding staircase, we finally reached the edge of the rooftop of the building. The drop was steep, and we'd end up as turtle pancakes if we tried to jump straight down since there was a road beneath it.

"Another dead end!" I growled in frustration.

"And here comes the unwelcome wagon!" Mikey added, looking behind us. Just then, a truck was coming down the street and my brain lit up with an idea.

"Everyone into that truck!" I yelled.

"No!" the robot protested, backing up a bit from the edge of the roof. "I hate heights!"

"How do you feel about laser guns?" I shot back. The robot looked unsure, but we didn't have to debate the situation any further. It was time for action.

"Down, down and away!" Mikey shouted as we leapt from the roof and landed inside the back of what turned out to be a garbage truck.

"I don't like this!" the robot shouted as he ran and leapt off the roof's edge, clinging to the truck with one hand before Raph and Mikey hauled him inside with the rest of us. Finally free of those Federation troops, we all gazed around and began to really take in our surroundings. It wasn't anything like New York or anywhere else familiar. Cars that could fly, buildings that looked almost alien in their design, and strange beings walking the streets that didn't look human.

"Where are we?" I questioned.

"Somethin' tells me dis ain't Manhattan," Raph observed.

"I'm not even sure we're on **Earth**," Don added. The truck soon came to a stop and we all climbed out.

"Ah, Earth! Is **that** where you from?" the robot inquired, sounding curious as he slid out of the truck. "I don't believe it's anywhere in **this** galaxy. At least, I've never heard of it. Are you the dominant species on your planet?"

"Where are we?!" Raph shouted angrily at the robot. I could've rolled my eyes. Even in some strange place, Raph's temper never changed.

"Calm down, son!" the robot exclaimed coolly. "You're on the planet Dhoonib in the Sidion system. Federation territory."

"A different galaxy?!" Don said in shock. I let that fact sink into my mind. If we were in a different galaxy, then that meant that we were far away from Master Splinter. And Samantha. I couldn't help but think of her face, that smile she always gave me that felt so sweet and warm to someone who was coldblooded. It was tearing me apart that she was somewhere else in outer space, maybe injured or captured, and we were so far from her as well.

"Master Splinter is so far away. So helpless," I said sadly, gazing up at the stars. "And Samantha. She's somewhere out there too. Alone and vulnerable. We have to help Master Splinter and Samantha!"

"We'll find a way, Leo," Raph replied gently, placing a brotherly hand on my shoulder.

"I hope you're right, Raph," I whispered, not breaking my gaze from the sky above us, looking at the different moons and planets, my thoughts focused on our beloved father and the ninja princess that were both so far away from us; from any protection that we could give them. "I sure as shell hope you're right."

* * *

_Back on Andromeda…_

"Where could they be?" Samantha muttered to herself as she continued to walk through the marketplace. It seemed as though she'd been walking for hours and still no sign of the Turtles. She could search the entire place for them, but she didn't know how big this place was. She didn't even know _where_ she was. It could take her forever to search for them. That is, if they were even here. Suddenly, she felt as though she was being followed. Whipping around, she could see no one suspicious following her. Turning around, she continued walking and then heard several people scream. She whirled around and now saw a huge tank coming forward towards her. Looking down the street on her right, she could see men dressed in army uniforms coming towards her armed with laser guns. They halted and took up an offensive stance.

"Freeze in the name of the Federation!" the lead soldier ordered, pointing his laser gun right at her heart. Samantha's eyes narrowed. She didn't know what the shell was going on, but she knew that laser guns being pointed at her was never a good sign. Her wakizashi was out like lightning and she quickly leapt into the air, dodging the lasers that were being fired at her and sliced through the barrels of the guns. Shocked at seeing their weapons destroyed, the troops barely noticed the reverse dragon kick that she was doing until it smacked them in their faces and sent them flying into some more of their comrades. After engaging several more Federation troops in combat and beating the crap out of them, she faced off with their leader.

"This is your last chance to surrender!" he ordered, pointing his gun at her. "Otherwise, we'll have to take you down and bring you in by force!"

"I'd like to see you try!" Samantha challenged, holding her sword in a parallel position.

"Fine! Have it your way, sweetheart!" he growled before shooting a small sphere at her that exploded at her feet and sent smoke billowing around her. Coughing hard and her eyes watering, Samantha didn't see the leader slam the end of the gun into her head, knocking her onto the ground. Her sword dropped away from her, and she was hauled up with her hands being held tightly behind her back. The smoke was clearing away, and she could see the leader of the troops was the one holding her. Another soldier had her sword.

"You're coming with us, my feisty, little terrapin girl!" the leader hissed in Samantha's ear as she tried to break free.

"I think not!" shouted a deep voice. Samantha looked up the street and saw a man dressed in a red and royal-blue uniform striding towards the Federation troops. He was blond-haired and had eyes that reminded her a lot of Mikey's: they were baby-blue and sparkled in the light. His muscular stature and air of command plus the fact that he was escorted by a large troop of soldiers told Samantha that this guy was important. Not to mention completely handsome!

"Ah! Commander Marion!" the lead trooper holding Samantha greeted disdainfully as though the commander's name was something bitter in his mouth. "What brings you so far from the safety of the President's palace walls?!"

"The very terrapin being you're holding so roughly, Simon!" Commander Marion replied sharply, seeing the tight, harsh grip the Federation troop leader had on the young woman. Marion couldn't help but allow his eyes to drift down over her body. She was quite attractive for a terrapin being, and he couldn't help but notice that her eyes were the same shape and color as President Jonas's.

"That's _Captain _Simon to you, Commander Marion!" Simon snapped back. "And as for this girl, she's going to be interrogated by me personally to see what she knows about the whereabouts of four terrapin beings that helped the Fugitoid escape one of our squadrons on Dhoonib!"

_Four terrapin beings?! _Samantha thought to herself. _Could he be talking about the Turtles?! Please God! Let them be alive! Let them be OK!_

"What makes you think that she knows anything about the Fugitoid?" Commander Marion inquired, glaring at Captain Simon. Samantha could sense that there was some sort of bitter rivalry between the two men, but she could care less about it and more about how she was going to avoid being taken anywhere by either of these clowns and finding out how to get to Dhoonib so that she could find her friends.

"She arrived here in the same manner as they did," Captain Simon informed him bluntly. "A strange blue light that caused her to materialize her out of nowhere. The four turtle-like terrapin creatures that helped the Fugitoid escape arrived in the same manner. She mostly like knows them and where they're headed and is probably in league with the Fugitoid!"

"What the Hell is a Fugitoid?!" Samantha demanded, struggling against Captain Simon. "I don't even know how I landed on this whacko planet in the first place!"

"There you have it," Commander Marion replied. "She doesn't know who the Fugitoid is. She doesn't even know how she came to be here. Now, hand her over to me…_Captain._"

"You think just because you work for the President of the Intergalactic Council that I'm going to take an order from you, Marion?!" Captain Simon barked angrily, gripping Samantha even tighter. "You've let all those alien girls and that cushy life in the palace turn you into a soft fool!"

"Don't force me to do this, Simon!" Commander Marion growled as his troops took an offensive position behind him.

"Unless you want your precious cargo's brains all over that expensive uniform of yours, I suggest you allow me to leave with what I came for!" growled Captain Simon, pointing his laser gun at Samantha's head. Commander Marion looked shocked and then his face was set in a grim line. She heard Captain Simon chuckle triumphantly and that was when she decided that she'd had enough of this. Placing a foot behind Captain Simon's ankle, she quickly bucked forward and he flew over her back and sailed into a box of fruit in a nearby vendor's stall. Heads turned and people gasped as the Captain reappeared with fruit juices and seeds covering his face and uniform. Several people began laughing only to be silenced by a fierce glare from Captain Simon.

"Get her!" Captain Simon shouted to his troops. Samantha quickly dodged the laser blasts being fired at her and quickly hurried down a dark alleyway as she heard more laser blasts echoing through the streets. Panting, she backed away slowly and silently, her brain burning as she tried to figure a way out of this. Suddenly, she felt something seize her around her waist. A hand slapped across her mouth, stifling her scream as she fought to break free.

"Be still! I'm not going to hurt you!" a voice whispered urgently in her ear. Samantha recognized the voice, but continued struggling. "Those four terrapin beings with the Fugitoid…they're your friends! The man I work for can help you find them!" The hand came away from her mouth, and she turned to see the face of Commander Marion standing there.

"How do I know you're not lying to me?!" she demanded sharply.

"You don't," Commander Marion replied. "But seeing as I didn't allow the Federation troops to drag you away and brutally interrogate you for hours on end, I can't be all bad, now can I?" Samantha stared hard into his blue eyes, but found no trace of deceit there at all. Then again, some people were adept at masking their true intentions. But she couldn't search an entire galaxy by herself. She decided to trust Commander Marion. It was the only way she'd be able to find the Turtles and this Fugitoid, whatever it was.

"Alright," Samantha agreed. "But if you've lied to me, you will regret it!"

"I have no doubt about that," Commander Marion answered, smiling slightly. "Your combat skills are impressive, even to a seasoned military commander like myself." Samantha allowed herself a small smile before she swept his legs out from underneath him. He landed hard on his back and felt the wind leave his chest for a moment.

"I thought you trusted me!" Commander Marion groaned as he struggled to his feet. "What was that for?!"

"**That** was for staring at my cleavage back when that Simon guy grabbed me!" Samantha shot back before walking towards the entrance of the alleyway.

"Terrapin women!" he muttered, brushing himself off and hurrying after her.

* * *

_Somewhere in the skies above Dhoonib_

_Raph's POV _

Right now, I'm about ta go off and seriously punch someone! Here we are, my brothers and I, flying in some rust-bucket of a spaceship chasing down a bunch of dinosaurs who've snatched our new friend, Professor Honeycutt a.k.a. The Fugitoid, and nobody thought of checking to see if dis thing had weapons! And with more of dose dinosaur freaks chasing **us**, without weapons we're sittin' ducks! And if we don't get Professor Honeycutt back, we'll never find Samantha and get home ta rescue Master Splinter. And de thought of dat just makes me furious!

After escaping dose Federation goons in one of their own tanks and hearing da Professor's story of getting turned into a robot during a lightning storm by accident and creating a Teleportal Device that could be our ticket home (but also a ticket ta death and destruction for some whackbag named General Blanque who's da head of the Federation military (da goons chasing us)), we decided dat it was time fer us ta blow this popsicle stand and get off of dis planet. But then Donny reminded us that we were still one man short, bringing back up the whole situation with Samantha disappearing. Personally, I don't blame da guy. He's been quiet and a lot sadder since da Princess went M.I.A. after we got beamed into outer space. A lot of da times, he's staring off into space at de other planets up there. I know dat he's wondering if da Princess could be on one of them. Sometimes, I find myself wondering da same thing. But da Professor said dat once we were off of Dhoonib, he could hack into da Federation's security records and find out where Samantha had landed since they had spies everywhere in de Sidion system.

I'd never admit it to my bros, especially Mikey, but I miss da Princess. Sure, she irritates da shell outta me sometimes by calling me Hothead and being good at everything, but she's become a part of our family. And I can see how hard dis is hittin' everyone. Mikey's become quieter (though he **still** manages ta find trouble wherever we go), Donny's silent and heartbroken and Leo's worried outta his shell (whether 'cause he's her Protector or 'cause he's still in love with her, you decide). As for me, my already short fuse just got a lot shorter thanks to all dis.

Anyways, we went ta dis inn in disguise to find some smugglers ta get us off Dhoonib since da Federation has us on their "Most Wanted" list along with Professor Honeycutt. And dat's when all shell broke loose. First, the Federation troops stormed in and almost caught us. Then, the dinosaurs that we're currently chasing down (Triceratons, da Professor called 'em) came busting in and snatched Professor Honeycutt during our escape. They're da sworn enemies of the Federation goons who've been chasing us all over da city. Seems that they're also interested in da Professor's Teleportal Device for da same reasons as da Federation though: death and destruction. Typical. Donny managed ta find us a vehicle ta go after 'em, but when we saw dat those creeps weren't gonna let us just follow 'em, we didn't know what ta do without any weapons to return fire with.

"I wish dis flying bath tub had some weapons!" I shouted to Don. "We're sittin' ducks!"

"Turtles actually!" Mikey corrected me as we soared upwards, our little entourage following us in the same direction.

"Whatever!" I growled back.

"This is just gonna take some extreme flying!" Don yelled to me as he sped up and dove to avoid the lasers being blasted at us.

"I was afraid you were gonna say dat!" I replied as Don kept maneuvering da craft through these tall trees that looked like mushrooms. Narrowly making it through a gap in da trees, we still had two Hornheads on our tails, but at least I got ta see one bite da dust hard. Or rather, da bark hard.

"Oh yeah!" I cheered, chuckling. "Dose bozos may be tough, but Donny here learned ta drive in New York City!"

Those Triceratons never gave up da chase, even after we (mostly Leo actually) improvised and created a weapon out of da seats. Mikey's sidecar detached after Shell-For-Brains decided ta push some buttons like da thing was a toy or something. Luckily, we managed ta get him into da main part of da craft before his sidecar dropped like a stone. Unfortunately, one of those Triceratons managed to blast us and then leapt onto the hood of our craft and ripped out the engine, sending us on a downward spiral towards the forest below us.

"We're going down!" Don yelled, gripping the steering wheel tightly and trying to maneuver the craft.

"The brakes! Hit the brakes!" Mikey screamed as the craft took a sharp nosedive and crashed against several trees before colliding hard with the ground and throwing us all out of it. Everyone was moaning and sore from Donny's 2.0 landing.

"Nice landing, bro!" I scoffed, massaging my aching neck.

"Could've been worse!" Don threw back, rotating his shoulder and then shrugging.

"I don't think so," Leo voiced, rubbing his head and resting his head against a tree. Everyone looked at him. "We lost the Professor. Which means…we'll never get home. We failed ourselves. We failed Samantha. We failed… Master Splinter." His eyes were closed and he looked like he'd just heard that someone he loved had died. I can't stand seeing Leo beat up himself like dis, especially over things dat he can't control.

"Lighten up, Leo," I told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find a way."

"We always do!" Mikey added brightly.

"Well…I took the liberty of attaching a Turtle Tracker to our little, metal friend," Don informed us, grinning and taking out the device that showed us the position of da Professor.

"Nice work Donny!" Leo said, cheering up almost immediately. Just then, we heard huge explosions that echoed around the forest.

"What was dat?!" I demanded, looking around.

"Fighting. Nearby," Leo answered. "C'mon!" And now dat we're back on track, all I know is dat it's gonna more than a bunch of Triceratons ta stop us from getting da Professor back! And if they wanna get in da way of finding our friend and saving our sensei, then they're gonna majorly regret it!

* * *

_Andromeda_

_The President's Palace_

Samantha was staring up at a huge, sprawling palace that seemed to stretch for miles. Tall and majestic, with strangely-shaped towers on either end, the palace was bright and alive with light. Commander Marion chuckled as he led her through the heavily-guarded gates and up a huge staircase. The corridors and hallways were massive and gleamed brightly, as though they had just been cleaned quite recently.

"The President has been awaiting your arrival, Miss…" Commander Marion informed her, but stopped short when he realized that he didn't know her name.

"Samantha," she replied. "My name is Samantha. Samantha Bushido."

"Bushido?!" Commander Marion repeated in shock. As fast as a swooping falcon, he dropped to one knee and bowed to her, as if she were a queen. "Your Royal Highness. I must beg your forgiveness for not recognizing you earlier. Or your Amulet," he added, gazing at the Amulet that hung around Samantha's neck.

"Umm. It's OK?" Samantha said, looking slightly shocked to see an alien who looked like a human bowing to her as though she was royalty. Well, she was. But just not here or anywhere outside of Earth. "You may rise." He rose from his knees. "How did you know that I'm royalty where I come from?"

"I shall allow the President to explain that to you, Your Royal Highness, as he has more answers than I do," Commander Marion replied. Then, he offered her his arm. Looking slightly taken aback, Samantha slipped her arm through his and allowed him to guide her to a large set of doors which slid open to reveal a room filled with consoles and monitors. People were sitting at the consoles working busily, and in the center of the room, in front of what looked like a throne, stood a man with jet-black hair and chestnut-brown eyes the same shade and shape as hers.

"Mr. President," Commander Marion stated respectfully, bowing to the man. "Here is Her Royal Highness, Samantha Bushido. Safe and sound."

"I understand that you had to engage those Federation troops, Marion," the President replied, looking stern and authoritative.

"Yes sir," Commander Marion answered. "They would not heed the order to turn Her Royal Highness over to us and we had to engage in combat with them after Her Royal Highness…umm…flipped Captain Simon into a fruit seller's cart after taking out half a squadron of their troops."

The President chuckled. "She has inherited Bushido's skill for combat as well as his knack for finding trouble." Samantha was nothing less than shocked. How did some alien-looking human know about her father being a warrior…or his knack for getting into trouble?

"How do you know so much about my father?" she demanded. The President smiled and stepped down from his throne and walked towards her. He was wearing a set of white robes that had a gold belt cinched around them as well as gold fringes at the cuffs of his wide, long sleeves.

"I always know about _kazoku, _Samantha," the President replied smiling. _Kazoku?_ she thought to herself in shock. The President continued smiling at her shocked expression.

"Allow me to properly introduce myself," the President said, grinning. "My name is President Jonas Anthony Bushido, President of the Intergalactic Council and brother of the great warrior, The Most Honorable Bushido; your father."

* * *

_Triceraton Prison Cell_

_Mikey's POV_

Prison. After battling through a bunch of Triceratons and Federation troops warring against each other for the plans of a Teleportal Device designed by our new friend, Professor Honeycutt, and surviving a loss of atmosphere using internal breathing, we ended up in a Triceraton prison as leverage to force the Professor into building his Teleportal Device. I honestly wasn't thinking much of Sammy when we first got here because my stomach was growling so loud, I swear that the entire cell block could hear it. But after accidentally eating the floor wax (and hurling in the salad bar), all I could focus on was where Sammy could possibly be. Was she in prison like us? Was she being tortured? The images of her being hurt, being tortured and broken were haunting me like those ghosts in _The Haunted Mansion_. She was the older sister I never got to have, and I missed her a lot. I was worried about her, even if she was a ninja princess. I couldn't imagine what Donny and Leo were going through. They must be going crazy not knowing where she is or how she is.

Don managed to compose a smoke bomb using some of the floor wax, some dirt and a little moisture. And Leo managed to formulate a plan of escape through the drainage system and out through the exercise yard. Unfortunately, Raph had to go and get into a fight with Rhinock, the King of our cell block. He kicked his shell, but got taken to solitary by the guards when the fight was done. We were taken back to our cell and had to formulate a new plan to get Raph and then get the shell out of here. But when I heard Leo mention sick prisoners getting taken to the infirmary and Don holding a handful of floor wax towards me, I immediately stop eating my food and stared at them in disbelief. And by the way they looked at each other, the only thing I could thing think as they tackled me to the floor was: _Raph and Sammy better appreciate what I'm about to do!_

* * *

_Don's POV_

It took some force, but Leo and I finally managed to get the floor wax I'd swiped down into Mikey's stomach. Then, we yelled for the guards, hollering that our brother was really sick and needed help. The guards came running and entered the cell before grabbing a groaning Mikey by the shell. It was disgusting to witness Mikey throwing up all over the guard. It was even more disgusting that when they left to deal with the situation in the cafeteria (thanks to my homemade smoke bomb) that Mikey upchucked a key card that was covered with his saliva and barf.

"I'm not touching that!" I protested. But after a look from Leo, I relented. "Well…at least, not more than I have to." Using my foot, I managed to press the red button that unlocked our shackles before pressing a blue button to remove our brands, and then the orange button opened our cell door. Hurrying down the hallway, we managed to make it through the door before the lock reset and began searching solitary for Raphael. After stumbling onto a cleaning supply room and arming ourselves (I took a mop, Mikey took a toilet brush scrubber and Leo took two plungers), we finally sprung Raph from solitary and Leo handed him two spoons for weapons. We were at the entrance to the drainage system when Mikey said something that stopped us in our tracks.

"Wait! What about the Professor? And Sammy?" Mikey inquired. Everyone froze. Samantha. I'd almost forgotten her in our efforts to escape this place. I suddenly felt angry with myself. How could I forget the girl that now owned half my heart? The girl that I'd give my life for in a heartbeat? I could never say how much I thought about her this whole roller-coaster ride through outer space. I'd never be able to count. Samantha's smile haunted my dreams; her laughter rang in my ears. I'd turn every corner and hope to see her passing by, unharmed and safe, looking for us; looking for me. She was one of the most important pieces of my life, and once we got out of this joint and got the Professor back, our number one priority would be to find our missing ninja princess. I'd make sure of it.

"We'll find a way to rescue the Professor and then find Samantha, Mikey," Leo reassured our youngest brother. "Don't worry. We're not leaving without either of them." Mikey nodded and then we made our way through the drainage system and arrived in the exercise yard without a single Guard noticing.

"Congratulations gentlemen!" I crowed. "Looks like we made early release!" Just then, a blinding light shone on us and we found ourselves surrounded by Triceraton prison guards. Using the cleaning supplies we'd snatched, we quickly battled the guards and were surprised at how effective these secondary weapons could be. Unfortunately, we weren't counting on the guards having stun guns and using them on us. And when we heard that we were being shipped off to "The Games", I found myself thinking of Samantha as we were dragged onto the space cruiser and shipped off to what sounded like the end of the line for us.

* * *

_Andromeda_

_Palace of the President_

"Are you saying that you're my…uncle?!" Samantha inquired in shock and disbelief.

"You're skeptical I see," President Jonas replied, smiling. "I expected that. That's why I had an old friend of mine run a blood test after collecting some of your blood from your battle with The Shredder." He took a remote out of his pocket and pressed a button. A monitor appeared before the three people and Samantha recognized that the objects on the screen were chromosomal pairs.

"Using advanced biological technology, we were able to separate your chromosomal pairs and group them as either maternal or paternal," President Jonas explained. "Your father always had a sample of your mother's blood on file at a private blood bank in Japan as well as his own. And accessing them was not an easy task. On the left are your maternal chromosome pairs and on the right are your paternal chromosome pairs." He pressed another button and a second monitor appeared with another set of chromosome pairs, but instead of two sets of 23, there was only one set and it had 24 chromosome pairs in it.

"This is a sample of my chromosomal pairs," President Jonas continued. "As you can see, I have an extra pair of chromosomes that enable me to possess certain…_abilities_ that regular humans do not possess. The ability to heal quickly, extraordinary strength and speed as well as vision beyond the normal 20/20 boundaries."

"So…you're a humanoid?" Samantha asked.

"Yes." Then, she turned and looked at Commander Marion. "I suppose you have a 24th pair of chromosomes as well, Commander Marion?"

"Yes, Your Royal Highness," he replied, bowing his head.

"Now, if you compare my Y chromosomes to those of your father's, you'll see that they match perfectly," President Jonas finished, using a remote control to place the two different chromosomal screens over one another. Samantha gasped when she saw that the pairs matched up with one another, with the exception of the extra pair of course. Brothers, cousins, sons would have perfectly identical Y chromosomes, she learned in biology class. This man was telling the truth. He really _was _her uncle.

"So…_Uncle_ Jonas. Why haven't I been told about you before by Yoshi or Uncle Kenji?" Samantha inquired.

"Your father deemed it best that his other family members were not known to you as he knew that the Shredder would surely come and attempt to destroy them," Uncle Jonas told her.

"_Other_ family members?" Samantha repeated.

"Yes. Besides myself and your Uncle Kenji, you have an aunt on the planet Isirion 5 in the Nexus galaxy, three cousins on Yamat, a planet in this system and another uncle on Earth. He has only part of the Bushido family's blood in him and does not take our family name, but he has enough of the blood to be considered family…though his actions would deem him as dishonorable in your father's eyes."

"What has he done?"

"Unspeakable things. And I fear that you two shall encounter each other sooner than later," Uncle Jonas intoned gravely. "When you meet him, my young niece, you shall know that he is your uncle. You will feel it."

"What do you mean?" Uncle Jonas was about to answer when one of the people working at the console came running over. She was tall and full-figured with blond hair that hung in curls down her back and eyes that rivaled the greenness of newly-polished emeralds. Her skin was clear and shone like fresh snow. Samantha couldn't help but feel slightly jealous in the presence of such a beautiful woman.

"Sir! One of our spies on the Triceraton home world has reported that the four terrapin beings are being transported to The Games!" the woman cried. Uncle Jonas's face turned grim.

"Zanramon!" he growled. Then, he looked up at the woman. "Prepare four release documents and an official statement on our letterhead for my signature and seal." She nodded and then hurried back to a nearby console. Then, he turned to Commander Marion. "Assemble a small squadron of troops to accompany yourself and my niece to the Triceraton home world." Commander Marion saluted, bowed and then hurried off with one last glance at Samantha.

"What are "The Games"?" Samantha questioned.

"They're Zanramon's form of "entertainment"," Uncle Jonas replied grimly. "In reality, they're an execution sentence."

"No!" Samantha shouted in horror. "He can't kill my friends! He can't!"

"He won't," Uncle Jonas reassured her firmly. "Zanramon would not dare to defy a direct order from the Intergalactic Council. Especially seeing as we were the ones who enabled their world to remain financially stable with a generous loan." Just then, the blond woman returned with five, virtual scrolls. Taking up a small electronic pen from nearby, her uncle signed the five scrolls and then took up a ring. Pressing it into the right-hand corner of each virtual scroll, a mark appeared: an eagle clutching a scroll while flying in front of a large, golden star. Then, the woman pushed the two golden bars together, and the declaration vanished. Then, she placed them in a satchel and handed it to Samantha.

"Release papers and an official statement of pardon for them from me," Uncle Jonas explained as she shouldered the satchel. Then, he turned and took up a cloak of black with a hood attached to it as well as what looked like a headset. "Wear this, and keep the hood over your head. This microphone will alter your voice so that Zanramon won't recognize you as my niece."

"He's never seen me before in his life, Uncle Jonas."

"He has spies everywhere. You cannot imagine the length some will go to so that their greedy ambitions may be satisfied. Trust me, Samantha. I know what I am saying." She nodded and then put on the headset over her right ear, ensuring that the microphone portion reached her mouth.

"What must I do?" she asked. Her new voice was slightly deeper and a little more sensual-sounding. She sounded like one of those seductive soap opera starlets on TV.

"Give the release papers and the pardon directly to Prime Leader Zanramon," her uncle instructed. "If his second-in-command, Commander Mohzar asks you for them, refuse and say that you're under strict orders to deliver them in person to Zanramon from the President himself. Then, get your terrapin friends and return to Andromeda. I'll see if we can't get our scientists to find a way to get you all back to Earth."

"But what about this Fugitoid?"

"What about it?"

"Uncle, if the Turtles helped it, then we must help it as well. They wouldn't help someone without just cause."

"No! We cannot help the Fugitoid!"

"But why? What is so dangerous about this Fugitoid that you will let an innocent…whatever it is, suffer?"

"The Fugitoid is a robot. The brain inside it belongs to an incredibly gifted scientist named Professor Honeycutt. His mind somehow was transplanted into the body of a robot named Sal during a lightning storm. But that isn't the main problem. You see, Professor Honeycutt developed a device called the Teleportal Device to promote peace among planets. But his funder, General Blanque, the head of the Federation military, desires it as a weapon. And the Triceratons now want it thanks to a traitor's information in the General's own camp for the same reason. We, as the Intergalactic Council, have declared ourselves as non-partisan, meaning that we cannot be seen as taking a side in this struggle. By not helping the Fugitoid, we show everyone that we do not support this barbarity and war."

"Uncle. I understand the diplomacy behind it, but if either of these sides get their hands on the Teleportal, who's to say that they won't turn against the Intergalactic Council? They may use it on you to secure ultimate power and conquest."

"Then we will reverse our non-partisan status and defend ourselves and the planets under our protection."

"But the Teleportal Device could get me and the Turtles back to Earth, Uncle Jonas!"

"No! Absolutely not!"

"But Uncle Jonas…!"

"That is my final word on the matter, Samantha Tiffany Bushido! Rescue your Turtle friends, but **leave the Fugitoid alone**! Am I understood?!"

"Uncle!"

"**Am I understood?!**"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Ah! Here's Commander Marion!" The military commander returned and bowed to Uncle Jonas.

"The ship is prepared to depart for the Triceraton home world immediately," Commander Marion reported. "The troops are armed and prepared to fight if necessary."

"I doubt that force will be necessary," Uncle Jonas replied. "Zanramon would not dare move against the Council. The repercussions would be too great. Now, please wait outside for my niece, would you Commander? There's something I must tell her in private."

"Yes sir," Commander Marion replied, saluting and then bowing to Samantha. "I will be right outside, Your Royal Highness." With that, he turned and left. Samantha turned back to her uncle.

"Samantha. There's something else I need to tell you."

"What? Don't rescue any orphans or damsels-in-distress along the way?" Uncle Jonas rolled his eyes and let out a small chuckle.

"As fiery as your mother. No. It's about your mother. You weren't her only child."

"WHAT?!"

"You had a twin sister that was born after you. You were born after. There was some sort of complication and a clot blew, causing your mother to bleed out. The doctor who tied off your umbilical cord properly didn't do the same for your sister until she lost half of her blood. By then, it was already too late. Perhaps he was trying to save your mother and forgot about your sister. Perhaps it was fated to be so. But it matters not. She died along with your mother. Your father ordered that your sister never be mentioned in the birth records or the death records. She was buried beneath a cherry blossom tree in the palace gardens. She's still there."

Samantha could hardly believe her ears. She'd had a sister? Why hadn't anyone told her? Why had everyone insisted on keeping secrets about her own family from her?

"Sometimes, the best intentions are the ones that hurt us the most," Uncle Jonas intoned wisely, bringing the young woman out of her thoughts. "Now you must go. Your new family needs you right now, my niece."

Her new family. Raph, Mikey, Leo and Don. Master Splinter. April and Casey. Her second family. They needed her right now. She could ask questions about her past later.

"Yes, Uncle," she replied, bowing and then sweeping out of the room, pulling the hood of the cloak over her head and hiding her face in its dark shadows. Commander Marion was standing outside and quickly straightened up when he saw the hooded figure of Samantha appear.

"Let's go!" she commanded, her new voice sounding strange yet exciting to her own ears. Commander Marion led her to the loading bay and onto a large, spacious ship that Marion told her was the presidential space cruiser. She smiled. Uncle Jonas was really pulling out all the stops for her this time.

"Set course for the Triceraton home world!" Commander Marion ordered. Immediately, the ship was powered up and as it soared away from Andromeda and towards the Triceraton home world, all other thoughts were pushed from Samantha's mind until one remained: _Hang on guys! Just hang in there for a little while longer! I'm getting you and Professor Honeycutt out of there! One way or another!_

**Mikey: Hey. Anybody seen Livangel16 anywhere?**

**Me: *walks in with flamedragon242* Hey guys!  
**

**Don: Hey. Lemme guess? Another visiting fan, right?  
**

**Flamedragon242: Whoa! Cool! He really _is_ the smart one!  
**

**Don: Thanks. I'm Donatello.  
**

**Flamedragon242: I'm flamedragon242. It's so awesome to finally meet all of you!  
**

**Mikey: Whoa! Awesome pen name! I'm Michelangelo the Amazing and Totally Awesome!  
**

**Leo: Hey. What's going on?  
**

**Flamedragon242: Awesome! You're Leo, right?! I'm one of Livangel16's visiting fans! It's so cool to meet you! You're an amazing leader!  
**

**Leo: *blushes* Thanks!  
**

**Me: Wow, Leo. Modest isn't a side of you I've seen in a while!  
**

**Don: Ouch! That's gotta hurt!  
**

**Raph: What's going on here? *sees flamedragon242* Oh. Sup, kid?  
**

**Flamedragon242: Sup, Raph? Look. I've heard you've kinda had it rough for a couple of fan visits, so I'm not gonna hurt you or do anything violent to ya.  
**

**Raph: Really?  
**

**Flamedragon242: Really. *pats Raph on the shell* Now, how about you and Leo spar for me and lemme see that kick-butt ninja style of yours?  
**

**Raph: You got it, flamedragon242! *draws his sais and doesn't notice the "Kick Me" sign on his back*  
**

**Mikey: *drops to the ground and laughs like crazy*  
**

**Raph: What?!  
**

**Don: On...your...shell! *bursts out laughing*  
**

**Raph: *turns and sees "Kick Me" sign* Why you little...!  
**

**Flamedragon242: Uh...what's that Mom?! We're moving to Alaska?! Right! I'm coming! Gotta go, Livangel16! See ya guys! Bye! *runs out with enraged Raph chasing behind him*  
**

**Raph: COME BACK HERE!  
**

**Me: Classic! I've got to remember to invite flamedragon242 back here!  
**

**Leo: I second that! **

**Mikey: I've taught flamedragon242 well! I'm so proud!  
**

**Another cliffhanger! I know! But don't worry! I'll update soon! Reviews are what feed my creativity, my readers, so use that little button at the bottom of the screen! Guys, please continue to tell friends and readers about this little story of mine! Seeing my story reaching other countries across the globe really makes me happy! Remember: if you wanna be a visiting fan, then PM me and I'll see when you want to come in and interact with the boys in green! Happy reading!  
**

**-Livangel16  
**


	44. Chapter 44

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers who make this writer so happy: grapejuice101, pokemonjkl, Aster Sapphire, I Love Kittens too, IceColdFever, ****IAmTheDragonEmpress, flamedragon242, Kimmie98, bell-13-tmnt-lover, ninja-warrior101, snow299, mchap1154, Josh Haner, my Guest, missymousemonster and WolfAssassin369! You know you guys are awesome! So, here's the next update since you guys begged me not to leave you in suspense for long! This next chapter is based off of Season 2, Episode 4: The Arena with some twists from yours truly! Enjoy it guys!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Forty-Four

Samantha was in the space cruiser's bridge staring through the large windshield at the passing planets and moons. She never thought that the universe was so large, so populated and so similar to life back on Earth. There were wars, poverty, greed and all the problems that humans were struggling with on the other side of the galaxy as well. _Guess aliens and humans aren't so different after all. Well…at least when it comes to the types of problems they have to deal with,_ Samantha thought to herself. Just then, Commander Marion walked into the bridge and came and stood beside Samantha, a strange device that looked like a feeding tube attached to a brown device in his hands.

"Your Royal Highness," he said to Samantha, sweeping into a deep bow. "We are nearing the Triceraton home world and I bring you this Atmosphere Convertor in order for you to be able to breathe normally."

"Why wouldn't I breathe normally on the Triceraton home world, Commander?" Samantha inquired. She took a deep breath and immediately began coughing and hacking, her lungs burning for the sweet taste of oxygen filling them. Commander Marion quickly slipped the Atmosphere Converter around her and stuck the tube into her mouth. Pressing a yellow button at her side, the Converter activated and Samantha could breathe again.

"The Triceratons breathe a mixture of nitrogen and sulfur," Commander Marion informed her as she took several, deep gasps of air. "Their air is poisonous to those who breathe oxygen."

"You're telling **me!**" Samantha managed to gasp out, coughing violently a few more times. "Damn!" Commander Marion hid a chuckle behind the guise of a cough.

"You're quite different from other terrapin women that I've seen, Your Royal Highness," Commander Marion told her, causing her to turn and face him.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Our squadrons frequently pass by Earth, and I go down sometimes and look at your civilizations," Commander Marion informed her. "Your cities and armies are quite…primitive."

"Yeah. Flying cars and really cool laser guns haven't been invented yet. But we're working on it." Commander Marion chuckled.

"You aren't very…_feminine_," he continued. Samantha looked shocked. Had her ninjitsu skills interfered with her feminine side and made her seem more…masculine?

"How am I not?!"

"What I mean to say is…you don't simper and pine and gossip like other women I have seen; both on Earth and on Andromeda. You are very bold and daring and adventurous, Your Royal Highness. And…I admire that."

"Thank you Commander Marion."

"Please. Call me Marion, Your Royal Highness."

"Then call me Samantha, Marion. "Your Royal Highness" is something I've heard enough times to last an eternity."

"Very well, Your…er…Samantha."

"Sir! We're approaching the Triceraton home world!" one of the pilots shouted to Commander Marion. Samantha saw what looked like huge, cone-shaped asteroids with golden slots and spikes floating through space. Just then, the screen began to fizzle with an incoming transmission and Samantha has barely yanked her hood back over her head and reactivated her voice alteration device before a triceratops-looking dinosaur with a black eye-patch and sharp-looking horns on his head and nose.

"Commander Marion!" it growled, snorting a little and showing its sharp teeth in a sinister smile that had Samantha taking a step back. "This is a surprise. And what does the Triceraton Republic owe the pleasure of having the President's top commander visiting here?"

"A very serious matter I'm afraid, Commander Mohzar," Commander Marion replied. Samantha, from the depths of her hood noticed that Commander Marion was also wearing an Atmosphere Converter. Being humanoid, he probably still had lungs like normal humans and could not adapt to different atmosphere conditions like other aliens could. "We have business with Prime Leader Zanramon on a classified matter."

"He is with a…private guest, Commander," Commander Mohzar informed them. "I'm afraid that it is not possible to speak with him. However, **I** am available to settle such matters on his behalf."

"I'm afraid that cannot be allowed," Marion replied firmly.

"Then, we cannot settle this business, Commander Marion," Commander Mohzar informed him. It was then that something inside Samantha snapped and she decided that niceties were for sissies. Her friends' lives were at stake here, and she wasn't going to let some prehistoric living fossil get in the way!

"You will take us to Prime Leader Zanramon as soon as we dock, Commander Mohzar!" Samantha ordered, her new voice hard but authoritative. Marion stared at her in shock and admiration while Commander Mohzar's face darkened.

"And **who** might **you** be?!" Commander Mohzar snarled.

"I am the Intergalactic Princess, the right-hand of the President and his heir-apparent," Samantha replied, her heart beating in her throat at the bluff she was pulling. "I am under strict orders from the President to meet with Prime Leader Zanramon about the four terrapin beings that are being taken to The Games! And I suggest that you do not tax us any further lest you wish for the Council to see the Triceraton Republic as uncooperative!"

"WHY YOU…!" Commander Mohzar snarled fiercely before regaining his composure and speaking more calmly. "I mean…of course, Your Highness. The Triceraton Republic is **always** willing to cooperate with important members of the Council; especially when they are close to the President. I will be at the docking port with an armed escort waiting for you and will take you directly to the Prime Leader." With that, the transmission ended and Commander Mohzar disappeared. Marion breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Whew! That was close!" he exclaimed. Then, he turned to Samantha and beamed. "That was brilliant, Your Royal Highness!"

"It's _Samantha_, Marion! How many more times do I have to tell you?!"

"At least once more…Your Royal Highness." Samantha rolled her eyes and Commander Marion smiled before stepping forward towards the controls and the pilots.

"Begin docking procedure," he ordered, and Samantha smiled a small grin of triumph as one of the gold-colored claws reached out and latched on to their ship before drawing it in to a slot. A few minutes later, she heard the pilot said that the ship was docked and stabilized. She could've danced with triumph. Mohzar had bought her bluff, and now she was on the Triceraton home world under the guise of being the heir-apparent to her uncle, the President.

_Don't get too confident yet girl,_ she reminded herself as Marion came once again to her side and led her to the ship's airlock with her uncle's squadron following close behind them. _You can celebrate your ingenious improv job **after** you're back on this ship with the Turtles and the Fugitoid and are about ten million miles away from this floating, prehistoric-creature-inhabited asteroid farm!_

* * *

Commander Mohzar stood with his squadron of Triceraton troopers and glared at the presidential cruiser as a ramp slid down from the open door. A black-hooded figure appeared at the side of the President's top military commander. The slender, robust figure told Mohzar that this was the Intergalactic Princess who had dared to speak to him, a Triceraton military commander, so boldly. Mohzar himself disliked the Intergalactic Council and he disliked the President even more so. The man was always speaking of peace and equality and was quite outspoken against planets that hungered for power and conquest (including the Republic). Nevertheless, he needed to make it appear as though the Triceratons were allies of the Council. Besides, the Prime Leader would know how to play this new card to his advantage.

"Your Highness," he greeted, bowing to her as did the rest of his troops. "Allow me to welcome you to the Triceraton Republic. I apologize for my earlier rudeness towards you."

"That is quite alright, Commander Mohzar," Samantha replied from underneath the shadows of her hood. "Although I trust that your agreement to escort us to Prime Leader Zanramon was not a ruse and this is some sort of hostage-taking."

"I assure you, Your Highness that the Triceraton Republic has no interest in making a move against the Intergalactic Council or the President by taking hostages," Commander Mohzar told her firmly in a smooth tone that made Samantha narrow her eyes under her hood. "Now, allow me to escort you and your…companions to the Prime Leader." Mohzar turned his back on them and then led them through the almost-deserted streets of the Triceraton home world and into a grand, magnificent palace that was decorated with statues of the Prime Leader and all sorts of trinkets that looked costly and expensive. Finally, after being led down a private elevator, they stopped at a pair of metal doors. Commander Mohzar took a keycard from his pocket and swiped it into the slot nearby, causing the doors to slide open and reveal a high-tech laboratory. The Triceraton commander gestured for Samantha to enter first. She nodded and stepped inside. Marion began to follow her, but Mohzar blocked his way with an arm.

"The Princess will meet with the Prime Leader alone, Commander Marion," Commander Mohzar informed him. "You and your men will be taken care of and shown where you can refresh yourselves."

"But I…" Marion began to protest, but Samantha turned back.

"It's alright, Commander Marion," Samantha told him kindly. "I'll be fine. Just be ready to gather your men and depart as soon as my business with the Prime Leader is complete. Until then, relax and refresh yourself. You deserve it."

"Yes, Your Royal…Samantha," Marion said, bowing to her before Commander Mohzar stepped inside the room and the doors clanged shut. Looking around, Samantha saw parts and pieces scattered across a nearby lab table. And close to a screen stood another Triceraton and a silver robot with a circular, metal head.

"Prime Leader! The Intergalactic Princess is here to see you!" Commander Mohzar announced, saluting to his leader. The other dinosaur turned around, and Samantha saw that he had red skin instead of brown and was wearing expensive robes that made him look powerful and authoritative. The robot's eyes were round and green, and its fingers wiggled and looked like sausages. This must be the Fugitoid that everyone (meaning the Federation and the Triceratons) was so desperate to capture.

"Intergalactic Princess?" Zanramon repeated in confusion and looking suspiciously at the young woman. "I've never heard of you."

"I've been kept a secret as a security precaution," Samantha answered. "The President did not wish for anyone to know of my existence so as not to give his enemies another outlet to attack him from."

"So, what brought you out of the shadows, Your Highness?" the Prime Leader asked, a mocking tone to his voice when he said "Your Highness". Samantha gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to slug this prehistoric creep back to the Jurassic Era.

"A classified matter, which I will discuss with you after you and Professor Honeycutt have finished your own conversation," Samantha answered coolly, trying her best to sound regal and like she had some power over this creep.

"How do you know who I am, young lady?" Professor Honeycutt inquired.

"You were a brilliant scientist before you were a fugitive robot, Professor," Samantha replied. "I heard of your story from the President. You have my sympathy for the accident."

"And what is your relationship to the President, Your Highness?" the Prime Leader jumped in, looking very curious to discover how close she was to this powerful man.

"He is a close friend of my family, and has been for many years," Samantha responded. "Many would say that I am like the daughter he never had." The Prime Leader smiled and Samantha could've smacked herself in the head for saying something like that.

"I see," Zanramon said. "Now. As to what we were discussing before, Professor Honeycutt," the Prime Leader prodded, turning back to the fugitive robot.

"I already told you! I can't do it! I won't!" the Fugitoid refused, pointing at Zanramon, who coughed and suppressed his rage at being denied his ticket to ultimate power once more.

"Very well," he said smoothly. "Then let's watch as your friends are torn to pieces in the Arena…and know that **you** could have saved them." Then, he turned to Samantha. "Come, Your Highness and watch the fun."

"Please, Your Highness!" the Fugitoid begged, breaking away from Zanramon and falling on his robotic knees before her. "Have mercy on my friends! They've done nothing wrong!"

"Your friends?" Samantha repeated and it was then that she saw four, familiar figures wearing colorful bandanas wrestling the Spazmazore in the Arena. The Turtles! They were here alright, but by the looks of it, Samantha had to pull those release papers fast and get her friends out of there. But a voice inside her head said, _Wait. Not yet._ She wanted to ignore the voice, but there was a feeling in her gut that told her to wait. Just then, she saw Mikey leap onto the Spazmazore and it released Raphael and hit Mikey away. Leo and Don began fighting back as well and soon, all four brothers were lined up and facing the purple, multi-tentacle creature. She glanced from the triumphant smirk on Zanramon's face to the horror in Professor Honeycutt's robotic, green eyes.

_There must be a way to help them! _ Samantha thought to herself. _But what can I do all the way in a laboratory? If only Master Splinter was here! He'd know what to do! He **always** knows what to do. Wait a second! Master Splinter…that's it! I think I have an idea!_

Closing her eyes tightly beneath the dark caverns of her hood, she closed off her mind to all else except the task at hand.

* * *

_Inside the Tri-Sports Arena_

_Leo's POV_

This thing wasn't letting go of me anytime soon. All I could think about as I watched my brothers battling this huge alien was how this would end. I'd never see my brothers, my father and the girl who was placed under my protection and care again. Samantha. Even when I was about to be eaten by some foreign alien, all I could think about was her. Samantha. She was somewhere out there, waiting for us to rescue her. And there was no way some purple alien with squid tentacles was getting in the way of us saving our friend!

Just then, Mikey came in and helped get Raph free (but also got knocked away). I finally managed to push myself out of the creature's grasp and landed next to my brothers in a straight line, facing the creature. I could see that my brothers were getting tired after fighting to get free of that thing. The feeling was mutual.

"Do ya think we hurt it?" Mikey inquired.

"Not enough!" I replied. The creature (a Spazmazore I think is what those annoying Triceraton sports commentators called it) came in for another attack with its purple tentacles. We dodged and hit the tentacles away, blocking any shots of it grabbing us again. But even hitting this thing didn't even damage its skin slightly. The Spazmazore was too tough to beat thanks to the elasticity of its skin.

"The elasticity of its flesh is too…resilient!" Don shouted.

"Yeah! And it's really rubbery too!" Mikey added. I hit another tentacle away and dodged one that tried to grab my foot. If one of us didn't think of something fast, we were going to end up as the Spazmazore's breakfast.

_Leo! Leonardo! Can you hear me?! _ a voice said inside my head. It sounded like Samantha. But it couldn't be. I thought I was going crazy, so I ignored it. But then, the voice came back again.

_It's me, Samantha! _the voice told him firmly. _And no. You're not hallucinating if that's what you're thinking! I'm using a method of communication through the mind that Master Splinter taught me recently._

"Samantha?" I muttered. Mikey looked at me like I'd gone completely nuts (which was weird coming from the crazy, wild turtle of the family), but I ignored it and focused on talking to Samantha inside my mind and dodging the Spazmazore at the same time.

_Samantha! You're alive! Thank God! Where are you?! **How** are you?! _I asked her.

_That's not important right now, Leo! Right now, you guys are in trouble and need to find a way out! And fast! _ she replied.

_Wait! How did you know that?!_

_Only you four could get into trouble in another galaxy, Leonardo! Now, whatever it is, you can beat it!_

_How?! This thing we're fighting is twenty times bigger than us!_

_Remember what the wise man once said: the bigger they are, the harder they fall!_

I thought about what Samantha had just said and my eyes fell on the huge statue of the Prime Leader. _The bigger they are, the harder they fall,_ I thought as a plan came to my mind. _Or…the bigger they are, the bigger the thing that can stop them dead in their tracks needs to be! That's it!_

"Guys. We gotta run!" I yelled to my brothers.

"No way!" Raph shouted back, batting away another tentacle. "I **never** run!"

"Trust me. Follow my lead," I told them and began running towards the statue of the Prime Leader. Mikey and Don were right beside me and soon, Raphael had caught up too. I chanced a glance behind us and saw that the Spazmazore was gaining on us at a fast pace.

"Check it out, Zed! I didn't know the Spazmazore could move **that** fast!" Raz commented excitedly.

"The radar just clocked it at 97 hootons per helic!" Zed told his colleague.

"Here comes Ugly!" Mikey shouted. I gritted my teeth and focused as the statue got closer and closer. This **had** to work, for Samantha's sake and ours as well.

"Now, everybody," I shouted as we continued running. The wall was coming closer and closer. "When I say "jump"…" Just a little further. A little more. A little more. And… "JUMP!" I yelled as my brothers and I kicked off the wall just seconds before the Spazmazore went barreling into it headfirst, smashing into the base and destabilizing the statue atop the base. The crowd gasped in shock.

"Ooo! That's gotta hurt!"Raz yelled. Landing on our feet, I watched as the statue swayed backwards and forwards until it toppled forward and smashed directly onto the Spazmazore with an almighty _CRASH_! burying it under a ton of rock. I smiled to myself. Direct hit!

"No! **That's** gotta hurt!" Zed corrected.

"What an upset! Unbelievable!" Raz shouted. The crowds began cheering and screaming as we stood in the center of the Arena, victorious. Mikey was dancing like crazy, Don looked relieved and Raph was just staring around at the crowds, torn between raising his hands like a champion or going nuts and pounding everyone into Triceraton nuggets. As for me, my mind was far away from the Arena, from the Triceraton home world and was with a certain young woman who'd helped us even though she wasn't here with us in body.

"Thank you, Samantha," I whispered, hoping that the winds would carry my voice to her, to let her know how her words had saved us and how much I cared for her. "Thank you for helping us…my ninja princess."

* * *

Samantha smiled beneath the hood of her cloak as the Prime Leader stepped back from the screen in horror, not willing to believe that his monster was defeated.

"Booyah! As the boys would say!" Professor Honeycutt cheered, doing a dance of joy. "My friends seem to have broken your statue, Prime Leader. So sorry." Samantha smiled underneath the darkness of her hood as the Prime Leader slammed a fist down on the console, smashing it and watched as Professor Honeycutt took a step back.

"I want those four off-worlders destroyed, do you hear me?! DESTROYED!" the Prime Leader roared into a communications device.

"You'll do no such thing, Prime Leader," Samantha interjected firmly. The Prime Leader rounded on her and it took everything she had not to shrink back in fear from the look of pure rage on his face.

"And who are **you** to command **me**, **Your Highness**?!" he growled, taking a few steps closer to her.

"I do not command you, Prime Leader. But the President **does**," Samantha replied, trying to sound intimidating as she reached into the satchel and pulled out the release orders and the pardon. "Release orders for the four terrapin beings as well as a pardon for any offences they've committed. Signed and sealed with the ring of the President of the Intergalactic Council." He snatched the documents from her and inspected them once they were activated. His face grew harder and harder and his teeth were practically grinding against his others. Then, he seemed to calm down.

"But of course the four terrapin beings will be released to you, Your Highness," the Prime Leader chuckled lightly, handing the release papers back to her. "I could never go against a direct order from the President." She stored them in her satchel and knew that the Prime Leader was only happy because he hadn't seen one for the Fugitoid. Either that or he had something sinister in mind for her friends.

"And the Fugitoid must accompany me," Samantha added. "I do not know if these off-worlders speak English. He will act as a translator."

"I can assure you, Your Highness, that the off-worlders speak English," Prime Leader Zanramon countered firmly.

"I shall judge that for myself!" Samantha shot back, hoping that she sounded intimidating enough.

"Very well," the Prime Leader growled. "But the Fugitoid is not to leave this planet! He is our…_guest_."

"The Council was very firm in leaving the Fugitoid alone, Prime Leader Zanramon. They have given me strict orders to leave him be. He will assist me and will then be returned to where he belongs."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Prime Leader Zanramon told her, bowing to her. "Now, Commander Mohzar: escort the Princess and Professor Honeycutt to the gladiator dungeons and get the four off-worlders. I suppose that you wish to brief them about their release, Your Highness?"

"Yes."

"Then Commander Mohzar will escort you, the Professor and the terrapin beings to my private chambers and you may debrief them there before being joined by your contingent and then escorted back to your ship. This is to ensure that you do not become lost on our home world."

"Thank you, Prime Leader. Come Professor Honeycutt." With that, Samantha swept out of the room followed by Professor Honeycutt. Commander Mohzar stood by the doors and made sure they were closed before he spoke.

"You aren't honestly going to free the turtle creatures, are you Sir?" he inquired. The Prime Leader turned back and laughed cruelly.

"Oh no, my dear Commander," Zanramon laughed evilly as he listened to the crowd chanting "Turtles! Turtles!" over and over again. "I have something else in mind for those four turtles and our dear guest the Princess. Something…**very cruel**."

* * *

_Inside the Arena_

_Don's POV_

Standing in the middle of an arena after just smashing a monster with a huge statue would surely turn anybody's head. It sure turned Mikey's. He bowed and struck an impressive pose that sent Leo and the rest of us glaring at him. What a showoff!

"Float like a butterfly! Sting like a bee! Who the Turtle! Who the Turtle! The Turtle be **me**!" he chanted, dancing with joy. I just looked at Raph and rolled my eyes. He understood as well and shook his head. Just then, Triceraton guards came soaring towards us, looking ready to take us out. And without weapons, we were defenseless.

"Look. If it's about what happened to your statue, it was all **his** idea!" Mikey said, pointing at Leo as we all got ready to fight if need be. The guards began firing their lasers at us, backing us up until suddenly, I couldn't feel the ground anymore. We tumbled down a long chute and then landed in a pit filled with straw.

"An elevator would've been nice!" I groaned, rubbing my head. Luckily, the straw had softened our fall as well as broken it.

"Can't say much about the décor," Leo commented as we gazed around the stone room. A weird, fanged alien creature was chained in the corner close to a pile of purple berries.

"Or our new roommates," Mikey added, gazing at the aliens that stood on the outskirts glaring at us. "Ew!"

"It's just another kind o' prison!" Raph growled, clenching his fists.

"Exactly!" Leo seconded. "Which is why we need to start figuring another way out of here! Especially if we've got any hope of finding Samantha." Just then, four aliens came and surrounded us.

"There's only one way out, off-worlder!" growled a green-skinned alien wearing battle armor and a metallic, curved helmet that reminded me a little of the crowns that the pharaohs of Egypt wore. "And you will find it soon enough!" Then, he started laughing coldly, sending shivers down my spine.

"You newbies will not survive to see tomorrow's dawn," a voice said from the corner. They turned and saw a large Triceraton sitting on a rock nearby. He wore battle armor as well and looked like a real Roman gladiator. Except for being a dinosaur. "You are slaves now just like the rest of us. The Games will be the end of us all."

"Who's Mr. Sunshine?" Raph asked, pointing at the Triceraton who was sitting.

"That is Traximus the Mighty! Undefeated champion of The Games!" another alien answered harshly. He had light-blue hair, red eyes and brown fur all over his body with a long, whip-like tail. "You would do well to address him with respect!" Just then, there was a bright flash of light and the sound of a whip cracking that had us all turning to a ledge where a stout Triceraton stood, holding a glowing whip in his hands.

"Listen up, Meat!" he growled. "Tonight, you slaves will have the honor of fighting for the amusement of our beloved Prime Leader! I want you all to die well and with much applause!" There were murmurs of agreement and then the Triceraton cracked the whip again. "Do you hear me, Meat?!"

"Yes, Master Gruel!" they replied firmly.

"Gruel. Nice name," Mikey scoffed. I was about to nudge him to be quiet, but I was too late. Gruel (what kind of name was that anyway?) had already heard him and had a look on his face that meant that we were in trouble.

"Hmm. I seem to missing something," he mused before his eyes lit up evilly as he looked at the four of us. "Oh yes! **Practice dummies! **You four turtles will be my new dummies!"

"You calling me a dummy?!" Mikey shouted to Gruel, making a fist.

"Wouldn't be the first time, Mikey!" I chuckled as Leo and Raph joined in and laughed as well. Our laughter died when Gruel cracked that electronic whip again.

"You won't be laughing for long…turtles!" Gruel growled, his whip glowing again as we stood in the center of the room and the other gladiators stood on either side of us with shockstaffs in their hands.

"Shockstaff practice!" Gruel shouted. "Remember practice dummies: no hands!" He cracked his whip at us again before leaning back against the fence and shouting, "Commence!" These gladiators may have looked tough, but as they came in for attacks, my brothers and I defeated them easily without using our hands. Little did we know, someone else was watching the fight.

"Nice moves! For somebody's grandma!" Mikey taunted as he floored a gladiator.

"I dunno," I said, chuckling as I kicked another gladiator away and the others grouped around me. "We've fought tougher grandmas than this!"

"Stop! Enough!" Gruel roared. "Weapons practice with extra rations for any gladiator that can take these four off-worlders down! You too, slave!" he said to Traximus, who growled and took up a battle axe. We were surrounded on all sides by the heavily-armed gladiators.

"Things look pretty ugly," Leo commented as the four gladiators came in closer to us.

"Dat's just Mikey," Raph told him.

"I'm afraid you must be mistaken, bro. Because I was voted most likely to brighten any room with my smile," Mikey countered, flashing a huge grin.

"Well…good luck brightening this one," I told him, trying not to sound panicked as the gladiators came charging in. Dodging a pitchfork-wielding gladiator, I back-flipped away.

"Anybody got a weapon I can borrow?!" I shouted, dodging the blue-haired gladiator's attacks.

"Special delivery for Mr. Don-A-Tello!" Mikey shouted, sending me a pitchfork. Countering the blue-haired alien's attack, I barely noticed the other one coming in right behind me and was knocked down hard. I thought I was a goner until Raph got one of them off my back.

"Stop!" Gruel yelled. "Gladiators do not help each other! In The Games, the weak deserve no mercy!" He cracked his whip again and it caught along the metal of the pitchfork Raph was holding.

"Wrong, Hornhead!" he grunted, pulling on the whip and fighting the electric shock that was flowing from it. "We look after our own!" Pulling the whip away from Gruel, he grabbed the handle and tripped up the Triceraton, sending him flying into a pile of purple berries.

"Thanks guys," I said before twirling the pitchfork and facing off with another gladiator. "This one's mine!" And with an easy move, I tripped him up. Now, all eyes were on Leo and Traximus. The two battled fiercely, but with a quick move and a strong kick, Traximus was down and Leo was standing over him, holding the two swords.

"Finish me!" Traximus panted. "It is your right as victor. And you would be doing **this** slave a favor!" Leo raised the swords in the air, but then threw them to the sides and then helped Traximus up. Typical Leo and his sense of honor. But that's what made him an awesome ninja just like the rest of us. Gruel was just digging himself out of the pile of berries and looked furious.

"ENOUGH!" shouted a voice. But I knew that it wasn't Gruel's. Unless, he'd suddenly become a girl.

* * *

Samantha had been watching the battle between the gladiators and the Turtles, and at times, she didn't know who would win. But now seeing all of them, especially Donny, unharmed, she decided that now was the time to get them out of here. Especially after seeing how furious Gruel was.

"ENOUGH!" she shouted. Every head turned and rested on her figure. She was standing on the ledge with Commander Mohzar and the Fugitoid behind her. Gruel immediately came striding over and stared at her in anger.

"Who are you?!" he demanded.

"This is the Intergalactic Princess, Gruel," Commander Mohzar answered for Samantha. "She is here on business for the President."

"Bow your heads in the presence of royalty, Meat!" Gruel ordered. With the guards surrounding them, the gladiators and the Turtles all bowed to her. Gruel came up to the ledge and stood beside Samantha. "Princess. It is an honor to have you here. But why would such a person of high standing come down to a pit filled with such filth?!"

"Who're ya calling filth, Hornhead?!" Raph yelled to Gruel. He was immediately struck in the head by a guard.

"One of the off-worlders, I assume," Samantha commented. Gruel nodded and smirked as he fingered his whip.

"Bring him to me and hand me your whip," Samantha ordered, stretching out her hand to Gruel. Smiling cruelly, Gruel placed the whip in her hand and beckoned for the guard to bring Raph forward. Struggling and kicking, he was dragged before the hooded girl, who brought the whip back and was ready to strike.

"May I suggest that you make the suffering of this soft-shelled, terrapin freak of nature long and loud, Your Highness?" Gruel whispered, tracing the back of his hand down Samantha's hood where her cheek would've been. Samantha shivered and stepped away from the gladiator master.

"Let this be a lesson to all those who dared to disrespect their superiors in my sight!" Samantha declared, raising the whip in the air. At the last second, she turned and the whip wrapped around Gruel and with all her strength, Samantha threw him across the room and back into the pile of berries that Raph had tripped him into. There were chuckles and snickers as Raph stared in amazement at the hooded girl.

"And there is no one superior in my sight than friends of the President," she finished. "Get your brothers and follow me, Raphael. We have much to discuss."

"Wait!" he shouted as she turned her back on him. "How'd ya know my name? Or dat I got brothers?"

"Let's just say that I'm…_well-informed _about you and your family," Samantha replied, smiling under the darkness of her hood. "_Very_ well-informed."

Inside the richly furnished quarters, the Turtles stood and gazed at the hooded figure, which they didn't know was their best friend. Professor Honeycutt was speaking with Donatello while Raph and Leo stood close to each other with Mikey nearby.

"I don't know who she is or how she knows us, but I like her," Raph whispered to Leo, smirking as he gazed at the cloaked figure.

"Yeah! Did ya see the way she took out Gruel?!" Mikey added, jumping in to the conversation. "It was totally awesome!"

"We don't even know her story!" Leo shot back in a whisper. "This President could be some crazed dictator just like the Prime Leader, and we could be pawns in his game for the Fugitoid!"

"My uncle isn't interested in the Fugitoid for the Teleportal Device, Leonardo," Samantha told him, turning around and facing him. She still had the voice alteration device on. She didn't want to reveal herself to her friends just yet. It was kind of fun playing the mysterious princess who'd come to the rescue of four strangers. "He doesn't even want the Fugitoid released from Zanramon's clutches."

"Why not, Your Highness?" Leo questioned.

"The Intergalactic Council has taken a non-partisan stance on the war between the Federation and the Triceratons over the Fugitoid," Samantha explained. "To help the Fugitoid would be seen as a violation of that status and would lead to a breakdown of the Council as other worlds would no doubt jump in for their chance at the Fugitoid."

"So…we're just gonna leave him with the Jurassic Park rejects?" Mikey demanded in shock.

"Of course not, Mikey," Leo reassured him.

"Yeah. It'll take more dan a Council o' aliens ta stop us getting da Professor outta here!" Raph seconded, smacking his fist into his hand. Samantha smiled underneath her hood.

"But what about…?" Don began to ask, but then fell silent. The others looked at each other and knew who he was thinking of. Samantha noticed the strange looks on their faces; looks of sadness and despair.

"What is it?" Samantha questioned.

"We're looking for a friend of ours," Don continued. "She was beamed into outer space with us, but we kind of got separated along the way."

"Her name is Samantha Bushido," Leo added on. "She's tall, brunette, with brown eyes and she has an Amulet with a sapphire dragon on it. She also has a sword strapped to her back."

"Please! Can you help us find her, Princess?" Mikey begged. Samantha turned her back to them once more.

"That depends. How much do you want her back?" she inquired.

"_Plus que quelque chose dans le monde__,_" Don told her. _More than anything in the world._ Samantha smiled and said nothing. Even in another galaxy, Don's love for her was steadfast.

"I don't think she understood you, Donny," Leo informed his brother. Still, Samantha didn't turn around and face them.

"Yo, Princess! We ain't got all day! Ya gonna help us or not?!" Raph shouted.

"That's so typical of you…_Hothead_," Samantha chuckled, turning around and facing the dumbstruck Turtles. Raph's jaw was practically on the floor as she reached up under the hood and turned off the voice alteration device.

"What did ya just call me?!" he demanded in shock.

"What's the matter Hothead?" Samantha giggled as she threw back the hood and revealed her face to her friends. "I always thought the name suited you."

"SAMANTHA?!" the four shouted in shock and disbelief. She nodded and Mikey practically shoved his brothers out of the way and scooped the ninja princess into a bone-crushing hug.

"SAMMY! YOU'RE ALIVE! DON'T YOU **EVER** SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN!" Mikey screeched, crushing the ninja princess against him. She returned the hug as best she could.

"OK! Mikey! Can't…breathe!" she gasped before the goofball turtle put her back down to massage her ribs and receive a punch in the arm from Raph. And it wasn't a soft one either.

"OW!" she cried, massaging her aching arm. "What was **that** for, Hothead?!"

"Fer keepin' up dis charade fer so long and not tellin' us!" Raph fired back before he pulled her into a light hug. Then, once Raph released her, she was pulled roughly into Leo's arms and he held her close to him, hugging her tightly. Warmth washed over her as she felt her Protector's arms tighten around her and she returned the hug.

"Thank you!" he whispered to her. She looked up at him and smiled as he brushed some of her hair out of her face before planting a gentle kiss on her forehead. Then, she broke away from him and walked towards Don, who was still standing beside Professor Honeycutt, his jaw on the ground. Smiling, she reached out a hand towards him and he snatched it, pulling her roughly towards him. She almost stumbled, but she felt his arms wrap around her waist and pull her securely against him before his lips attacked hers, kissing her fiercely enough to make her moan. He didn't try and kiss her anymore deeply because of the Atmosphere Converters, but once they were back on Earth, Don was planning on giving her the best kiss of her life.

"Damn! Maybe I should go missing more often," Samantha whispered, resting her forehead against Don's and smiling. Don beamed back, his heart bursting at the thought of his ninja princess back with them again.

"Don't even go there, Sammy!" Mikey warned her. "We're just glad you're safe and back here with us."

"Yeah. And if it weren't fer dese damn Atmosphere straws, Donny probably woulda eaten yer face off, Princess," Raph chuckled.

"Thank goodness for some small mercies," Leo muttered under his breath. Raph looked at his older brother and shook his head, smirking.

"Ah! So **you're** the famous Samantha that the boys seem to be so enamored with," Professor Honeycutt chuckled, stepping forward and shaking hands with the robot. "It's an honor to meet you."

"The same goes to you, Professor. Please accept my humblest apologies for my harsh words about you earlier to the Prime Leader. My uncle may be the President of the Intergalactic Council, but even galactic politicians say the wrong things."

"Uncle Kenji's in outer space too?" Mikey asked her as he and his brothers looked at her in shock.

"No. My other uncle," she replied, making them looked even more confused and shocked. "I'll explain later. Right now, we've gotta get back to my ship and get you four and the Professor out of here."

"But I thought your uncle…" Leo began to say, but Samantha waved at them from the doors of the Prime Leader's private chambers.

"Do you know a **faster** way to get home to rescue Master Splinter than the Teleportal Device?" she shot back as the doors slid open. "Now come on! We've got to…!" The rest of the sentence was cut off when an orange hand reached in and placed itself over her mouth, muffling her scream, while another grabbed her waist and yanked her out of the room.

"SAM!" Don screamed, racing out of the room with the Professor and the others close behind him. He ran out into the hallway and found himself surrounded by armed Triceraton guards. Commander Mohzar was holding onto a struggling Samantha and the Prime Leader stepped in and smiled evilly.

"Did you **really** think I was going to let a little human girl get the better of **me?**!" he laughed.

"Let her go, Zanramon!" Leo demanded, clenching his fists.

"You're in no position to make demands of **me**, off-worlder!" Zanramon reminded him.

"LET HER GO! NOW!" Don snarled, getting ready to launch himself at Zanramon, but was held back by Mikey. Zanramon looked at Mohzar and nodded. With an evil grin, he turned off Samantha's Atmosphere Converter and watched in triumph as the human girl began coughing violently and gasping for air. He dropped her to the floor and watched as she began slowly sinking into unconsciousness.

"Stop it! You'll kill her!" Mikey shouted, tightening his grip on Don as the techno turtle looked ready to go ballistic and murder everyone in sight.

"Then there will be no further resistance from you," Zanramon told them firmly. "Otherwise, the Converter's turned off again and she sinks deeper and deeper into unconsciousness until she's in a coma."

"Alright. Just don't hurt her anymore," Leo agreed. Zanramon smiled as Mohzar turned back on the Atmosphere Converter. Leo watched and saw Sam's chest rising slightly and was relieved that she was still breathing. His eyes narrowed when he looked back at Zanramon. Somehow he was gonna get the Prime Leader back for this!

"Now, I have **two** bargaining chips! You four Turtles as leverage for the Fugitoid and the niece of one of the most powerful men in the galaxy as my hostage! Either one will guarantee me ultimate power! With the President's niece as my hostage, I could demand arms and manpower that could wipe out the Federation and conquer the universe! And with you four terrapin off-worlders fighting in the gladiator death-match tonight, the Fugitoid will have no choice but to build me the Teleportal Device! Take the four off-worlders back to the gladiators' cell! "

"Ya won't get away with dis, ya Hornhead!" Raph growled as the four Turtles were dragged back to the gladiators' cell. Zanramon then seized Professor Honeycutt by the arm.

"Chain her up in the laboratory," Zanramon told Mohzar as the small troupe began their way back to Professor Honeycutt's lab. "She can join her other friend there and watch as her terrapin friends are destroyed before her very eyes."

* * *

Samantha awoke to find herself chained to a table. Her head was splitting and her lungs felt as though someone had clobbered them over and over with a sledge hammer. Her throat felt like someone had stuck a lit match down it. She faintly remembered the guys and then something grabbing her, and then… nothing.

"Your Highness!" cried a familiar voice. She turned her head and saw Marion chained to the wall nearby. "Thank goodness you're safe! I'm so sorry! They tricked us, Samantha!"

"I know, Marion," she whispered, looking away and feeling ashamed that the Triceratons were going to win. She felt foolish for thinking that she could outsmart someone as ruthless as Zanramon. Clearly, she wasn't cut out to be a leader or to go on missions without screwing up something. Again, she'd failed. Just like back when the Shredder had injured Leo and she'd gotten herself injured too.

"Drop your weapons or you'll be looking for a new Leader!" she heard a familiar voice command harshly. She whipped her head towards the screen and saw that not only were the Turtles, the Fugitoid and the Prime Leader surrounded by Triceraton guards, but Leo was also holding one of his katana blades (where the Hell had he found them?!) directly underneath the Prime Leader's throat. And from the look of determination in his eyes, she knew that Leo was far from bluffing when he'd told them they'd be looking for a new leader. She smiled. _You tell 'em, my Fearless leader! _she thought to herself proudly. _Show these prehistoric creeps who's boss!_

"You'll…never…make it out here alive!" the Prime Leader growled. "You'll be shot down like dogs!" Just then, Raph grabbed him by the shirt and held a sai to his neck.

"Zip it, Windbag! Yer our ticket outta here!" Raph growled as Leo placed his katana back at Zanramon's throat.

"Man! I sure hope they're fond of this Zanramon guy!" Mikey groaned, looking around as the armed guards stepped forward and surrounded them. "Really **really **fond of him!"

"And what about your friend, the Intergalactic Princess?!" Zanramon added. "One word from me can determine whether she lives or dies!"

"And one sword stroke from me **will **determine whether **you** live or die, Zanramon!" Leo growled, pressing the katana closer to their hostage's neck. "So leave Samantha out of this, or you'll see just how quick my sword is compared to your words!" The Prime Leader relented and gulped, nodding his head.

_I've got to find a way to help them!_ Samantha thought to herself. Looking down, she saw her Amulet glowing dimly and smiled.

"I know we've never been in space before, but I don't think that a _tengu's _powers stop when they leave their home planet. Well…here's hoping," Samantha muttered to herself as she closed her eyes. But this time, it was more difficult to fight the _tengu_ off thanks to Mohzar's tampering with her Atmosphere Converter. And when Samantha Bushido opened her eyes again, her vision was red, her teeth were like vampire fangs, and her fingernails were like claws. And she turned her face to the monitor, anyone could see that she wasn't Samantha Bushido anymore.

**Me: Hey guys! *walks in with Leonardo's Adriene behind me*  
**

**Leo: Hey Livangel16. Who's your friend?  
**

**Me: This is Leonardo's Adriene. She's another visiting fan.  
**

**Mikey: _Leonardo's _Adriene, huh? Well, I think we all know who's gettin' the love in _this_ segment! *Leo blushes*  
**

**Leonardo's Adriene: Well, Leo's my favorite, but come on Mikey! Everyone _loves_ you!  
**

**Mikey: Really?!  
**

**Leonardo's Adriene: Really. What's not to love? You're funny, cute and so sweet!  
**

**Mikey: Yahoo! I'm loved! *starts doing back-flips and cheering*  
**

**Don: Oh boy! Someone told him he's loved! *looks at Leonardo's Adriene* Hey. Another visiting fan, I suppose. I'm Don.  
**

**Leonardo's Adriene: What's up?! Cool techno geek ninja turtle in the house!  
**

**Don: You think _I'm_ _cool_?!  
**

**Leonardo's Adriene:Yep.  
**

**Don: Alright! Someone thinks I'm COOL! *starts doing back-flips and cheering with Mikey*  
**

**Raph: What's going on...?! *sees Leonardo's Adriene* Oh. Another visiting fan. Ya gonna kick my shell or put signs on my back?  
**

**Leonardo's Adriene: No. Why would I do that? You're the awesome, muscular hothead of the group! You rock, Raph!**

**Raph: No lie?  
**

**Leonardo's Adriene: No lie.  
**

**Raph: Sweet! Gotta love dese fan visits sometimes! Anyways, can't really stick around today! Peace out homie! *swaggers out like a gangster*  
**

**Leonardo's Adriene: Your family's..._ interesting, _Leo.  
**

**Leo: _Interesting _does not even begin to describe them.  
**

**Leonardo's Adriene: Or you. Makayla's lucky to have someone like you in her life. I wish I did.  
**

**Leo: Thanks. And you never know. I mean, nothing can beat the original, but you seem like a pretty cool girl. You'll find someone amazing too. So...uh...want me to show you some ninjitsu moves?  
**

**Leonardo's Adriene: Sure! That'd be _so_ amazing! *watches Leo do a few complicated katas* Wow! That was so awesome! Can I try?!  
**

**Leo: Umm...sure. Just keep your balance and focus!  
**

**Leonardo's Adriene: OK. *tries to do a kata and almost falls. Leo catches her*  
**

**Leo: Balance, remember?  
**

**Leonardo's Adriene: Alright. *tries again and gets one done*  
**

**Leo: You're really good for a beginner.  
**

**Leonardo's Adriene: Not too shabby for a Fangirl!  
**

**Leo: *smiles at her* Definitely not!  
**

**Mikey: *stumbling and staggering* I'm dizzy!  
**

**Don: *comes in staggering like he's drunk* I second that! *both Mikey and Don collapse to the floor*  
**

**Leonardo's Adriene: I think that's my cue to go.  
**

**Leo: You will come back though. Right?  
**

**Leonardo's Adriene: Of course. I gotta see my favorite turtle again. See ya guys! Bye Livangel16! Thanks for inviting me here! *leaves*  
**

**Me: I hate you sometimes, you know!  
**

**Leo: Why? What'd I do?!  
**

**Me: You and your brothers are always getting all the love! From the fans, from the girls, from everybody! Where's _my_ love?!  
**

**Leo: Right here. *hugs Me* We all love you, Livangel16. Things wouldn't be the same without you here.  
**

**Me: Aww! Thanks Leo! Now if only I could get that hot guy in my Spanish class to say that to me!  
**

**Gasp! What's happened to Sam? Can the guys get to her in time? Will they ever make it back to Earth to save Master Splinter? Tune in for the coming chapters of Not An Ordinary Girl for the answers, the action and the romance! So, I have a question for you guys and I'm being 100% serious: do you guys think that Don and Samantha should take their relationship up a notch in the physical department (you know "consummate their relationship" and...well... you know what I mean...I hope!) Please review and tell me that plus what you thought of this chapter and my story! Happy reading!  
**

**-Livangel16  
**


	45. Chapter 45

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers who make this writer so happy: grapejuice101, pokemonjkl, Aster Sapphire, I Love Kittens too, IceColdFever, ****IAmTheDragonEmpress, flamedragon242, Kimmie98, ninja-warrior101, mchap1154, Josh Haner, missymousemonster and WolfAssassin369! You know you guys are awesome! Keep the reviews coming! So, we are getting closer to the most epic chapter to be written by yours truly: Leo's battle with the Ultimate Ninja! I am SERIOUSLY excited! But for now, enjoy this equally amazing chapter based on Season 2, Episode 5: Triceraton Wars and a little bit of Episode 6: Secret Origins, Part 1! By the way, PLEASE check out my horror story spinoff to this story called Isle of the Dead if you can! It would mean the world to me! Thanks! Now...on with the story!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Forty-Five

Marion stared in horror as the tengu-possessed Samantha locked eyes with him. He felt his heart seize as the monstrous face and red, evil eyes fixed on him. What had happened to the pretty, young terrapin girl whom he'd escorted to this prison? And what in the name of every planet in the Sidion system **was** that thing that'd taken over her body?!

"What are **you** looking at?!" the tengu-possessed girl hissed at him. Marion shivered and immediately whipped his head in the other direction. He heard that thing chuckle in a tone that sent more shivers shooting down his spine. Just then, he heard a groan and turned back to see the struggling girl's head whipping from side to side.

"No. No!" he heard her moan in her regular voice. "I won't…let…you…win!" Then, she cackled in that cold, evil tone that had Marion swallowing hard.

"Pitiful human girl!" she hissed. "You're too weak to stop me alone! Soon, you'll be gone forever, and I will reunite with my master and the world will bow before my awesome power!" She laughed maniacally causing Marion to shudder and then faint from fright.

Inside the caverns of her subconscious, Samantha was still trying to fight her way back into her mind and overthrow the _tengu_. But it was no use. She was weak and exhausted, and now she remembered that Mohzar had been playing keep away with her Atmosphere Converter, almost suffocating her during their botched escape plan. If she got out of this, she was seriously gonna kick that overgrown dinosaur's sorry, prehistoric ass! But right now, she needed to get the others here and fast. Closing her eyes, she managed to tap into her brain, which was only partially possessed by the _tengu_ and focused on reaching Leonardo and praying that he'd hear her and get here in time.

* * *

_Tri-Sports Arena_

_Leo's POV_

Taking the Prime Leader hostage probably wasn't the smartest move I ever made as the leader, but I didn't see any other way to get us off this planet alive other than threatening its head of state.

_Leonardo! Leonardo! _Samantha's voice shouted inside my head. My ears rung slightly, but my heart seized as I heard the note of panic in her voice. Something was wrong. She was in trouble.

_Samantha! What is it?! What's wrong?! _I asked her urgently.

_The _tengu! _It…it's taking over me! You've got to help me, Leo! Please! Before it takes over! Before it's too late! _she begged. _I'm in the lab that Zanramon gave Professor Honeycutt! Please…hurry! Can't...keep … fighting…for…long!_

_Hang on, Samantha! We're coming! _ I replied. The thought of that fang-toothed, red-eyed monster taking over the body of our best friend and the girl under my protection was more than I could bear. We had to move. Now. I turned to the others. I had taken an offensive stance beside Raph, who had his sais under the Prime Leader's throat. Mikey and Don had their weapons out as well and Don was sheltering Professor Honeycutt from harm.

"Guys! Samantha's in trouble!" I told them. "We've gotta get to her!"

"Trouble?!" Don repeated in horror. "What happened to her?!"

"It's the _tengu_," I answered, gritting my teeth. "It's taking over her body. If we don't get there in time, we'll lose her. _Forever_."

"Then let's get going!" Don shouted, clenching his bo staff tighter.

"But how do we get past the four dinosaur Musketeers with the fancy laser guns?!" Mikey inquired.

"Like dis!" Raph growled, pressing his sai closer to Zanramon's neck. "Drop da hardware or yer Prime Leader's lizard cutlets!" he ordered the four guards in front of us. I couldn't help but feel satisfied at seeing this horn-headed monster now quivering and cowering like an infant. It served him right for almost suffocating Samantha to death right in front of us; in front of **me**.

"Do…do as he says!" the Prime Leader ordered nervously, his eyes never leaving the sharp sai under his neck. The four guards before us dropped their laser guns and Mikey, Don and I quickly picked them as they backed away. I was holding two of them and passed one of them to Raph, who was guarding our hostage.

"So what do we do now, Fearless Leader?" Raph asked pointedly. My mind was awhirl with ideas, but nothing concrete came to mind. I was pacing back and forth, trying to think of something, but those two, annoying announcers were really starting to give me a headache!

"I don't know!" I snapped back. "I'm trying to think through all that racket overhead!" It was then that Raph blasted the blue screen with the laser gun, immediately destroying it and silencing the two announcers.

"**That **help?" Raph inquired, smirking.

"Actually, yes," I answered, smiling as a plan came to my mind. "Let's try this: Professor Honeycutt, take us to your lab. Prime Leader," I said, pointing my laser gun right in his face and smiling a little more from seeing the fear in his eyes, "you're coming with us." Then, I turned to his guards and soldiers. "Everyone else, stay put and don't move a muscle!"

We began backing away slowly down the hall, the soldiers and guards following us. We'd just turned a corner when the sound of laser blasts echoed again through the corridor. The guards must've picked up the laser guns they'd dropped earlier. Apparently, these guys meant business. Well, so did we! I nodded to Raph, who shoved the barrel of his laser gun into the Prime Leader's face.

"Call off yer goons! NOW!" Raph snarled, shoving the Prime Leader forward and pointing the laser gun at his head, letting it rest closely enough to send the dictator shivering.

"Hold your fire! And pull back!" the Prime Leader commanded, almost squeaking with fear as Raph, with the gun still pressed to his head, pulled him back with us.

"Which way to the lab?" I asked Professor Honeycutt hurriedly. I knew I was sounding a bit bossy, but Samantha was running out of time. We had to get to her and fast!

"Well…actually, there are several routes," Professor Honeycutt replied. "The Triceraton home world, with its interconnected network of asteroid cities, is a bit of a maze really."

"Show us da fastest way, Spike! Now!" Raph commanded, seizing the Prime Leader's collar and pushing the laser gun against his head.

"As you wish," the Prime Leader replied. Gun pressed to his back, the Prime Leader led us over to a wall and pressed a button on the side. A door slid open and suddenly, a strong wind grabbed hold of us and dragged us down a metal chute towards either the Professor's lab or some unknown place where we'd have to fight our way out to find our friend and escape this floating asteroid.

* * *

The chute ended in a steep drop. Everyone crashed to the ground with a hard _THUD _as the Turtles, the Prime Leader and Professor Honeycutt landed in the midst of the Professor's laboratory. Everyone groaned and began helping each other up.

"You wanted fast, didn't you?" the Prime Leader reminded them mockingly.

"I got yer fast right here!" Raph growled, pressing the laser gun hard into the Prime Leader's face.

"Guys! Look!" Don shouted and pointing to a corner of the lab. Chained to a lab table, unconscious, was Samantha.

"Mikey! Weld the doors and hatchets shut! Professor Honeycutt, gather up everything you need to construct your Teleportal! Raph, you've got guard duty! Don, you and I will unchain Samantha and the other prisoner."

"You got it!" Mikey shouted.

"Whatever," Raph replied, keeping his laser gun pointed at the Prime Leader's head. Don and Leo quickly headed over to Samantha. Don pressed two fingers to the side of her neck.

"She's got a pulse, but it's a weak one," Don informed Leo as he spotted a red lever nearby. Leo's eyes roved over Samantha. She was still beautiful even when she was unconscious. She must've fought hard against the _tengu_ to have exhausted her this much.

"I think this lever will release the shackles on her arms and legs," Don theorized, grasping the handle of the lever. Leo glanced at the shackles. They weren't electronic and glowing like the ones that'd imprisoned him and his brothers and almost resembled the ones that they had back on Earth. It was then, while studying the shackles, that he saw that her fingernails were still claw-like.

"Wait a second!" he breathed, his voice horrified. "That wouldn't be there still if she wasn't…!" It was then that the truth dawned on him as he saw Don draw the lever back. "Don! NO!" he shouted, but it was too late. The shackles unclamped their hold on her and Leo felt something kick him in his chest and send him flying backwards towards Mikey, crashing hard onto the floor.

"Leo!" Mikey shouted before whipping around and seeing Samantha, red-eyed and fang-toothed, floating in the air, her hair billowing behind her. "What the shell's happened to Sammy?!" Leo quickly leapt back to his feet and faced off with Samantha, Donatello on the other side of her.

"Keep welding the doors and hatchets Mikey!" Leo commanded, narrowing his eyes at the demon-possessed girl. "Don and I will take care of the _tengu_!" It was then that the young woman laughed coldly, the eeriness of the _tengu's _voice in it. Leo and Don both suppressed cold shivers.

"Pitiful mutant freaks!" she cackled. "Do you **really **think that you can defeat **me**?! Once the girl is gone, there will be no stopping me from finding my master and ruling this pitiful planet once more!"

"Did ya hear that, Leo?!" Don shouted from the other side. "Sam's still in there somewhere! All we have to do is get her to fight back!"

"Fight back?! HA!" the possessed ninja princess scoffed. "She's too weak to fight against me!"

"Then let's give her a little help from the outside!" Leo growled before leaping at the demon-possessed girl. She dodged it, but missed seeing him kick off the wall and coming back towards her like a recently fired bullet. Grabbing her around her waist, he managed to tackle her with enough force to send her crashing to the ground. She immediately broke free from his grasp and leapt to her feet, getting into a fighting stance. Leo stood facing her and then she flew in for an attack. Leo dodged and blocked them, but he didn't counter them with any attacks of his own. Don tried to sneak up from behind her and grab her, but she seemed to sense his presence and turned around, the techno turtle barely dodging a fierce, dragon kick from the girl he loved.

"We don't want to fight you, Samantha!" Don shouted, dodging a phoenix kick counter that would've sent him flying back to Earth. Literally.

"You just don't wanna fight at all because you're afraid that Leo will show you up again!" the _tengu_-possessed girl sneered, throwing a dragon punch that Donatello dodged and then did a backflip, landing away from her, staring hard at her. "It's always been your greatest fear hasn't it? That I'd find your brother more of a warrior than you?! Well, your nightmare's come true, Hamato Donatello! Because I find him a much better catch than you! And ya know what?! He's gonna stop at nothing to get me away from you!"

"What're you talking about?!" Don growled, clenching his fists. Samantha chuckled darkly, smiling evilly and showcasing her fangs to the world, which gleamed and looked lethal in the dim lights of the lab.

"Some genius **you** are!" she taunted, snickering as she floated backwards away from him and towards Leo, standing between the two. "Doesn't even realize when his own brother is trying to steal his girlfriend away from him! Pathetic! Haven't you seen it in the way he looks at me? **Kisses** me? **Touches me**?"

"You're lying!" Don snarled.

"Am I?" she challenged. "You don't know what he's thinking whenever I'm in his arms, whenever he's near me. He doesn't care about your feelings for me or that you're brothers. All he wants to do is take me away from you and have me all to himself."

"Leo! That's not true! Is it?!" Don demanded, his wild gaze turning from his possessed girlfriend to his eldest brother.

"No way, Don!" Leo shouted, gritting his teeth. "I'd never betray you like that! I'd never dishonor you like that!"

"HA! Please! He's only saying that because he knows you're stupid and naïve enough to believe him!" Samantha whispered to Don. She somehow landed beside him without him noticing her, but her words riveted him to the spot. "I can help you destroy him. Then, you can have the leadership of your brothers, the respect you deserve, and the girl you love. Everything you've ever wanted can be yours. All you have to do is say the word, and we'll get rid of him. **Together.**"

"No! No! I can't!" Don protested, moving away from her and shaking his head fiercely. "I won't! Leo's my brother! I won't betray him!"

"Donny!" Leo yelled, leaping in and trying to grab Samantha, but she did a backflip and escaped his reach. Whirling around, he saw her feet touch the ground and then she groaned, clutching her head and wandering around dizzily. She must've fought off the _tengu_ from inside. Leo rushed over to her and caught her arms before she stumbled and fell flat on her face.

"Samantha! Are you OK?" Leo asked worriedly. Samantha smiled and nodded, her eyes closed.

"I am now," she whispered, her smile widening. "You wanna see betrayal, Donatello?! Watch **this**!" she shouted to the techno genius before smashing her lips against Leo's, kissing him fiercely. Her hands gripped his arms tightly and kept them exactly how they were for a while before he pulled his back and away from her, breathing hard. Don's face was frozen in a mask of shock, hurt and betrayal.

"Oh crud!" Raph growled from his position next to the Prime Leader.

"Oh my!" Professor Honeycutt gasped.

"This isn't gonna end well!" Mikey groaned worriedly.

"See? He wouldn't be breathing so hard if he didn't enjoy it!" Samantha chuckled, revealing her red eyes and running her hand up Leo's plastron, chuckling more when he shivered. "And he shivers whenever I touch him. Your brother's already betrayed you, my sweet, little fool! And your stupidity of how much is laughable! Are you **really** gonna let him get away with kissing your own girlfriend in front of you?"

"No! You just crossed the line!" Don growled, whipping out his Bo staff and gritting his teeth. Samantha's possessed face took on an eviler smile as Leo backed up a bit.

"Don, wait! _She_ kissed _me_!" Leo reminded him. "Or rather, _it _kissed me! Don't listen to it! I'd never do something like this to you! I'm your brother!"

"Sorry, bro! But I'm done listening to all this talk!" Don growled before leaping into the air towards Leo and Samantha. Leo had just pulled out his katana blades when he saw Don change his angle of attack and land a hard hit to Samantha's head, sending the demon-possessed girl flying backwards and straight into the lab's wall. She hit it hard and slid down to the floor, unconscious once more. Leo stared at his brother in amazement and shock.

"Donny?" he whispered. The entire room was silent as all eyes were on the genius turtle standing over the unconscious body of his girlfriend, his eyes narrowed and blazing, his mouth set in a tight line.

"Master Splinter always taught us not to hit a girl," Don said in a flat tone. "But I think he would've an exception in this case. Leo, help Mikey with the doors. I've got this covered." Leo nodded and then went off to help his younger brother. Don knelt beside the girl and brushed a strand of her hair back behind her ear.

"Samantha. It's Donatello," he whispered to her. "Listen. I know you're still in there somewhere. You've got to fight this thing! Don't let it win! You can fight it, baby! I know you can! Just like I know that I love you, no matter what that _thing_ forces you to do! Come back to us, Samantha! Come back!

* * *

_Come back! _Those two words rang through Sam's mind like church bells on Sunday morning. She was wanted. She was needed. And those two words were all she needed to renew her strength.

_He's only saying that because he just wants to use you like every other boy out there!_ the _tengu _whispered to her. _He doesn't really care about you! Besides…he'll never forgive you for what you've done!_

_"What did you do?!"_ Samantha growled, narrowing her eyes as the winged, fanged, red-eyed creature floated close to her.

_"It's not what **I've** done, my dear," _the _tengu _chuckled. _"It's what **you've **done while I was in your body. Hope you can fix the damage!"_

_"Whatever you've done, it doesn't matter!" _Samantha growled. _"They want me back! They want me in their lives! And you're **not** gonna stand in my way any longer!" _The _tengu_ gave a hiss as Samantha's strength returned to her with all its zeal and she shoved back all the evil that was flowing throughout her body, pushing the creature further and further back until its voice was gone, and she was in control once more.

_"I think it's time for me to wake up_," she said aloud in her mind. And her brain conceived the command and sent it shooting down the spinal cord and right to the nerves in her eyes.

* * *

Donatello saw the Amulet glowing brighter than the noonday sun before there was a huge flash of blinding, blue light and the glow faded away. Donatello looked and saw that his girlfriend's fingernails had returned to their regular length, and as she stirred and opened her eyes, Don saw that they were brown and brilliant instead of red and menacing.

"D-D-Donny?" she moaned, rubbing her head as he helped her to her feet. "What happened? I know the _tengu_ took hold of me, but after that, it's all a blank."

"We'll fill you in later, Samantha," Leo told her. "Right now, we've gotta move! Professor! Do you have everything you need to construct the Teleportal?"

"Yes," the Fugitoid answered, but there was something in his voice that made Samantha sense that the Professor wasn't OK with this one bit. "But Leonardo. You don't **actually** intend for me to build the Teleportal, do you?"

"It may be the only way to solve the problem," Leo answered him.

"But if I'm captured, the knowledge will surely fall into the wrong hands!" Professor Honeycutt protested.

"Professor Honeycutt, please!" Samantha begged. "I know my uncle's scientists are brilliant and all, but whatever method they'd find of getting us home would take weeks, maybe months! And Master Splinter probably doesn't have that long!"

"Not only that, but you could transport yourself and the device somewhere that the Federation and the Triceratons wouldn't follow," Leo added, welding the door shut with the laser gun. "Like…Earth."

"If you don't build the Teleportal, we'll never get home to rescue Master Splinter," Don reminded him, his arms filled with parts. "Samantha's right. We don't know how much longer he has. We need to get home. And fast."

"Yes. By all means, help your friends! Build the Teleportal!" the Prime Leader interjected smoothly.

"**You** keep outta dis!" Raph growled, aiming the laser gun at the Prime Leader once more.

"The danger will always exist whether or not you build the Teleportal," Leo informed him.

"What's to stop them from ripping apart your robot body and downloading all the data from your brain?" Don seconded.

"Slag!" the Prime Leader cried, smacking his hand to his forehead. "Why didn't **I** think of that?!"

"Good one, Don!" Mikey scolded as Samantha rolled her eyes and Don smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"Yes. I see," Professor Honeycutt said before snatching the laser gun from Raph's hands and turning it on himself, resting it against his head. "I'm afraid the only sensible solution is to blast me into scrap metal right now."

"Wait!" Don protested, hurrying forward. "I was just saying…! I didn't mean…!"

"Professor Honeycutt! Please don't do this!" Samantha begged. "You're our only hope!"

"She's right," Leo seconded. "**Please, **Professor!" The robot stared at them for a few moments longer and then sighed.

"Alright," the Fugitoid agreed, removing the laser gun from his head and handing it over to Raphael. "But you must promise me one thing. If all goes wrong, if it looks like we are to be captured, then you must destroy me so that this knowledge can never be used for evil and destruction."

"It won't come to that," Leo promised him.

"But if it **does** come to that, do you swear on your honor to destroy me?!" the Fugitoid asked again, getting in Leo's face.

"Oh man! You know how much honor matters to Leo," Sam whispered to Don.

"I know," he whispered back. "This is gonna be a tough call for him to make." Leo looked at Raph and then at the others. Samantha knew that there was no way around this. They'd have to promise him this if they were gonna get out of here.

"We swear," all five of them said in unison.

"Now, let's get a ship and blow this popsicle stand," Samantha told them as she hurried over to Marion and began unchaining him.

"Where's the fastest ship outta here?!" Leo demanded of the Prime Leader, who raised on hand in the air and scratched his chin. Raph pointed the laser gun at him once more.

"Hmm…now let me think," the Prime Leader mused. "You four turtles, Professor Honeycutt and the Intergalactic Princess will have to make your escape in my personal cruiser. It's in my private space dock hanger." Hurrying out, they climbed onto a floating trolley, all except for Marion.

"I have to find my men," Marion told them. "I cannot abandon them and leave them to be slaves for the Triceratons."

"But it's too dangerous, Marion," Samantha protested. "Come with us. We can send you back to Andromeda and you can come with a liberation force and free them."

"No, Princess," Marion said firmly. "A commander never abandons his men. Even if it means he dies with them."

"You have been a good friend to me, Commander Marion. I will miss you."

"And I you, Your Royal Highness," he told her, kissing her hand with his soft, perfect lips. Don cringed and Leo frowned slightly. Raph smirked and Mikey rolled his eyes. "Safe journey to you all. And thank you."

"Thank **you** for watching over her when we could not," Leo told him as he and his brothers bowed to the military commander. "We are in your debt." He smiled and bowed back.

"There is no debt among friends, Leonardo," Marion told him. "Now go. You have a long journey ahead of you. Farewell, my friends." With that, the humanoid commander took off in the opposite direction as the floating trolley drifted down the long corridor and was soon inside the private hangar where the cruisers and their cargo were stored.

"My ship is in the next bay," the Prime Leader informed them silkily. Samantha narrowed her eyes and thought she could see movement in the shadows. Something wasn't right.

"Don. Don't you think the Prime Leader was talking a little too loudly when he said we could use his ship to escape?" Samantha inquired, scanning the darkness and getting the same sense that they weren't alone in this hangar.

"Come to think of it…yes," Don answered, the parts for the Teleportal Device gripped tightly in his arms. "What're you saying, Sam?"

"I'm saying that…" The rest of her sentence was cut off when she felt something knock her down as a laser blasted through the air and hit a spot that her head would've been directly in line with. Looking up, she saw Leo hovering over her, growling as Triceraton soldiers emerged from the shadows and began blasting at them.

"Guys! Get down! It's a trap!" Leo shouted, whipping out his katana swords and leaping down from the trolley cart and engaging the soldiers in battle.

"Mikey! Fire overhead!" Don ordered as he and his younger brother blasted the concrete ceiling, causing huge chunks of it to fall and bury some of the Triceratons beneath it. Samantha was busy deflecting laser blasts with her wakizashi from hitting the Fugitoid. Finally, the trolley reached the Prime Leader's cruiser. Leo followed and leapt back onto the trolley, deflecting laser blasts with his swords.

"Order yer troops ta stand down! NOW!" Raph snarled, pointing the laser gun at the Prime Leader. He walked forward and stood at the edge of the trolley, hand upraised.

"Stand down! I order you to…!" the Prime Leader shouted before the trolley was hit right where he was standing and he was thrown roughly to the ground by the blast.

"What about our hostage?!" Raph demanded as he watched two Triceratons race towards the Prime Leader.

"No time! Leave him!" Leo commanded. The Fugitoid piloted their trolley down into the ship and everyone raced into the bridge. Samantha swung into a seat beside Donatello.

"Mr. Zulu! Ahead! Warp factor!" Mikey commanded playfully from his seat.

"What a time to start pulling _Star Trek_ lines out!" Samantha groaned, shaking her head as Raph smacked Mikey hard in the skull.

"Knock it off, Mikey!" Raph snapped as the Fugitoid plugged himself into the ship's controls.

"Isn't it fortuitous that my robot body comes equipped with a piloting program?" Professor Honeycutt asked proudly as the cruiser's engines powered up and the cruiser went speeding forward like a rocket.

"Yes! Well…maybe a few updates might be in order!" the Fugitoid shouted over the yells of the guys as the ship soared out of the bay and into space with three Triceraton gunners after it, blasting it with lasers.

"Looks like **someone** doesn't want us ta leave!" Raph growled as they watched the troops in pursuit of them on a screen.

"Ah yes!" the Fugitoid said. "Let's see...evasive maneuvers subdirectory! Accessing files… now! Hang on, my friends!" The ship dived and then shot upwards before hitting a large pipe, causing one Triceraton to smash into it.

"Yahoo! Strike one!" Mikey cheered. Then, the ship was piloted into a passageway and one of the two, remaining Triceratons didn't see it in time and crashed into the stone wall.

"Strike two!" Mikey shouted. Samantha looked at Leo and smiled, shaking her head and rolling her eyes playfully. Leo made a slitting motion across his throat and then let his tongue loll out, holding his throat with one hand. Sam pressed her hands to her mouth to suppress her giggles as the ship did a dive and then collided right with the final Triceraton, sending him flying backwards into the sphere of one of the asteroid cities.

"Strike three! Yer outta there!" Mikey cried happily, making the same motion that an umpire would. Raph just groaned and Samantha smiled as the cruiser soared through space.

"Well gentlemen," Professor Honeycutt said confidently. Samantha coughed pointedly. "And lady," the Fugitoid added, earning a smile from the young woman. "It should be fairly smooth sailing from here on out." Then, as they came over the ridge of a moon, they saw huge, asteroids floating towards them and looking deadly. Samantha guessed that these weren't cities.

"Unless, of course, we happen to run into the entire Triceraton space fleet!" the Fugitoid corrected as Samantha and her friends watched as numerous myriads of space cruisers flew out from the asteroids.

"Attention Professor Honeycutt!" growled the voice of Commander Mohzar. "This is Commander Mohzar! Return at once to the Triceraton home world or face the wrath of the Republic's fiercest warriors!"

"Can't say I'm happy with our choices," Leo said aloud.

"That makes two of us, Leo," Samantha seconded as Leo gripped the lever and pushed it forward, causing the ship to speed up towards the approaching warships. They quickly dodged out of the way as the Prime Leader's cruiser blasted right through them. It took a few moments, but then the chase began again.

"Guess "chicken" is a** universal** game, huh guys?" Samantha joked.

"That was **so** corny!" Don chuckled, shaking his head while Samantha rolled her eyes.

"Well, my humor might not be amazing, but that stunt Leo just pulled sure was," Samantha said, walking over and standing next to Leo, who smiled and shrugged. "How did you know that would work?"

"Yes. How did you formulate such a daring plan?" the Fugitoid inquired.

"Master Splinter always says, "There's no greater weapon that the unexpected"," Leo told Professor Honeycutt and the young woman.

"Hmm. I really **must** meet this Master Splinter someday," Professor Honeycutt said. Just then, a laser blast shook the ship hard.

"We ain't outta da woods yet!" Raph reminded them as he and Mikey quickly leapt into the gunner compartments of the cruiser. Another blast rocked the ship hard, causing Samantha to lose her balance and tumble right into Leo's lap. His arms wrapped around her waist and they found themselves staring into each other's eyes.

"We've gotta stop meeting like this," she chuckled, praying that her cheeks weren't burning too red with a blush.

"Yeah," Leo laughed, swallowing hard and feeling his cheeks warm with the heat of a blush. Why was this always happening to him?

"Are you two alright?" the Professor asked, looking at them.

"We're fine!" the two answered simultaneously. They locked eyes again and Samantha untangled herself from Leo and stepped back as the ship dove and dodged the lasers that were being blasted its way.

"Better get the shields up and running!" Don shouted, leaping into the seat that Leo had occupied and beginning to activate the shields. Raph and Mikey were busy operating the laser guns mounted on the sides of the cruiser.

"Feeling confident in your piloting skills?" Leo asked the Fugitoid.

"Oh yes. Rather," the Fugitoid replied proudly.

"Then let's see if we can't shake these guys in that asteroid field," Samantha told him, pointing on the screen to an incoming asteroid field dead ahead.

"I like the way you think, Samantha!" Leo chuckled as the robot piloted the cruiser through the asteroid field like a pro.

"My ingenious mind is only one of the many things that you all love about me," she shot back, smiling as the Triceraton ships crashed into the asteroids that they blasted to pieces. Soaring upwards and out of the asteroid field, Samantha sank into a chair and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well my friends. I'd say that the difficult part is over," Professor Honeycutt told them. Just then, Samantha saw a huge, shining light up ahead that looked like a Sun and gasped when she saw an entire fleet of ships heading their way.

"Oh damn it!" she groaned.

"Oh my!" the Professor gasped.

"And the **really** difficult part is just beginning," Leo informed everyone as an image of a redheaded, military general appeared on the screen. Samantha recognized him at once as she clenched her fists.

"General Blanque!" Samantha growled.

"Hello, Professor Honeycutt!" General Blanque greeted. "I believe you have something that belongs to me. Or should I say: you **are **something that belongs to me!"

"This is **not** good!" Mikey whispered.

"What was yer first clue, Shell For Brains? The huge fleet o' ships in front of us or the crazed military whackbag on da screen?" Raph asked him sarcastically.

"Did you **really** think that the Federation would give up its most valuable scientific mind without a fight?!" General Blanque demanded, grinning wolfishly. Everyone looked at Professor Honeycutt.

"They want a fight?! Then let's show them where they can find one!" Leo commanded as the Fugitoid piloted the ship away with Federation fighters on their tails. The ship was hit numerous times from behind as they soared through the asteroid field.

"Guys! Ahead!" Samantha shouted as they looked up and saw the huge, Triceraton warship dispatching fighters their way. The ship shook violently as they found themselves trapped between the Federation and the Triceratons. They were being hit from both sides and were running out of options.

"I think it's time our "friends" got reacquainted," Leo told them. The Professor pulled up and Samantha watched as the two sides clashed furiously. They silently slipped away from the battlefield.

"We can't avoid them forever," Don reminded them.

"We don't need "forever"," Leo rebutted. "Just enough time for you and Professor Honeycutt to build that Teleportal."

"That planetoid should provide an ideal spot to construct the Teleportal Device," Professor Honeycutt observed, pointing to a crater-filled planet and piloted towards it. Landing quickly, they quickly prepared to head outside and begin constructing the Teleportal Device.

"You five will need Atmosphere suits to work outside the ship," Professor Honeycutt informed them. "Fortunately, the Prime Leader's cruiser is stocked with special, form-fitting suits that can configure to a multitude of alien anatomies!" The orange suits configured to fit the turtles perfectly.

"**Unfortunately**, there's only three of them!" Mikey groaned as the others began laughing at the tail swishing behind the mutant turtle. Samantha had, of course, changed into a protective suit that was white and blue with a helmet over her head. She looked like a female princess from one of those sci-fi movies. She watched as Don, Raph and the Fugitoid worked tirelessly to construct the Teleportal Device. Things were looking good when she heard something on the console beeping. Hurrying over, she saw large dots heading towards their location.

"Leo! Mikey! Come here!" she shouted. The two mutant turtles came rushing over and saw the scanner. "This doesn't look good!"

"Guys! We're picking up massive energy signatures on the scanner!" Mikey shouted through the two-way radio headsets in the suits. "Looks like the Federation **and** Triceraton fighters are headed our way!"

"We need more time!" the Fugitoid informed them.

"You'll have to stall them!" Don ordered the three.

"How?!" Leo demanded.

"Anything!" Don replied. "Just keep them talking and keep them from attacking!"

"Hope this thing has three-way calling!" Mikey said as he pressed some buttons and then nodded at Leo, who sat down at the head seat of the bridge.

"General Blanque. Commander Mohzar," Leo said firmly as the two heads of the opposing sides appeared on virtual screens. "I am Leonardo of the planet Earth. I demand an immediate ceasefire!"

"And **why** should we agree to **your** demand, Earthling?!" Commander Mohzar snarled.

"Because he has the backing of the President of the Intergalactic Council in this matter," Samantha declared, walking up from behind and placing her hands on Leo's shoulders.

"Preposterous! You can't speak for the President of the Intergalactic Council, little girl!" General Blanque growled.

"As the Intergalactic Princess and his heir-apparent, I most certainly can, _General_!" Samantha snapped. "And I'm more than certain that my uncle will back me with this one hundred percent! After all, he **is** family!"

"Besides that, give me another reason why we shouldn't obliterate all of you here and now?!" Commander Mohzar growled.

"Because…if you blow us up, you'll blow up Professor Honeycutt along with us!" Leonardo argued. "Then **nobody** gets the Teleportal! However…we'll give up the Fugitoid…for a price."

"We will?" Mikey inquired.

"I'm trying to all-stay for ime-tay!" Leo hissed to him. Mikey smiled and winked. Samantha remained by Leo's chair as he stood up and paced back and forth.

"But first…we'll…uh…need to broker a truce between the Federation and the Triceratons," Leo informed them. "We want assurances that neither side will use the Teleportal Device for destructive purposes."

"And will the Council back this…arrangement, Your Highness?" Commander Mohzar questioned.

"One intergalactic phone call from me, a few words from the two of you, and it'll be official faster than you can say "warp drive"!" Samantha replied confidently.

"Agreed," the two leaders replied. Samantha tried to hide the look of shock from them. Leo and Mikey were trying to do the same.

"Huh? Wait! Don't you guys wanna, like, argue about it some more?" Mikey asked.

"No!" Commander Mohzar told them. "The Triceraton Republic is eager to settle this matter peacefully."

"The Federation is equally as eager to avoid any unnecessary conflict," General Blanque seconded.

"Now bring us the Fugitoid!" the two leaders shouted. Samantha looked out and saw Don waving his arms at them. They needed more time. She nudged Leo, who also saw the signal from his brother.

"OK. But first we'll…uh…need to…uh…finalize your agreement," Leo told them. "In writing, of course. That is, once we can determine a neutral meeting place mutually acceptable to both sides."

"Naturally, the Federation will require assurances of non-aggression from the Triceratons," General Blanque replied.

"We Triceratons have always honored our treaties," Commander Mohzar answered. "It is the Federation who should provide assurances of non-aggression."

"Are you accusing us of treachery, lizard?!" General Blanque demanded.

"You Federation slime didn't force a hundred and fifty planets under your rule by acting honorably!" Commander Mohzar snarled.

"Well…maybe if you Triceraton buffoons hadn't managed to blow up your own home worlds, you wouldn't be living on a bunch of rock fragments!" General Blanque shouted.

"Hairless ape!"

"Overgrown lizard!"

"This is better than a daytime talk show!" Mikey exclaimed as he, Leo and Sam sat back and watched them arguing.

"I agree," Samantha chuckled before leaning down towards Leo so that Mikey couldn't hear them. "Has anyone ever told you that you'd make an amazing politician?" she whispered to him. He turned and smiled at her.

"Why? Because I'm an adept liar?" he teased.

"No. Because you're very clever, honest and can maneuver your way out of tight spots like a pro," she replied, smiling back. "You'd make an amazing politician. Except you won't be corrupt and a jerk!"

"Yeah. I'll make sure to run for office next year!" Leo joked. "I'm sure they're looking for a mutant ninja turtle to do a human's job!"

"Ya never know." Leo smiled, shaking his head and then turned on his comm. link with the others.

"How're we doing out there, Professor?" Leo inquired. "Did we buy you enough time?"

"I'm gonna say…no," Raph answered as the sound of laser blasts echoed through the link. Samantha looked and saw fighter ships blasting at them.

"C'mon!" Leo shouted as he and Mikey raced to the gunners and began returning fire. Samantha quickly rushed outside and hurried over to Raph, Don and the Professor. Just then, she saw the Federation and Triceraton fighter cruisers land, trapping them in the middle. Warriors from both sides poured from the crafts and were heading straight towards them.

"**Please **tell me you're ready Don?!" Leo pleaded as he and Mikey came racing over from the Prime Leader's cruiser.

"We're ready!" Don confirmed.

"But it hasn't been tested yet!" Professor Honeycutt protested. Just then, a laser blast ricocheted off the Teleportal nearby.

"No time like da present!" Raph answered as everyone scrambled inside the Teleportal Device with Raph and Mikey guarding the rear.

"Hurry up! Everyone get inside!" Leo ordered. Raph and Mikey scrambled inside and Raph closed the door as the Teleportal Device powered up and then fizzled and then stopped working.

"I'm guessing it's not supposed to do that," Mikey commented.

"Gee! Ya think?!" Raph shot back sarcastically.

"What do we do?!" Samantha asked, trying not to sound panicked, even though she could see the huge, Triceraton war craft and the Federation military craft hovering overhead and knew that this could be the end of the line for them.

"Everyone back to the ship!" Leo commanded, but just then, a blast from the Triceraton craft completely destroyed the Prime Leader's cruiser.

"Man! That Prime Leader is gonna be **pissed** when he finds out what happened to his cruiser!" Samantha breathed. Just then, lasers bounced off of the Teleportal and barely missed hitting them.

"Back inside!" Leo shouted as everyone quickly scrambled back into the Teleportal Device. Just then, Samantha heard a cracking sound and looked up to see the glass portion of the Teleportal Device cracking and splitting.

"The capsule won't hold much longer!" Don observed.

"Oh dear!" the Professor muttered before the glass shattered and the Teleportal Device came crashing down around them. Samantha bit back the curses that sprang to her mind. They were in deep trouble now!

"I'm afraid we have no choice now!" Professor Honeycutt shouted. "You fellows must destroy me and the knowledge I possess!" His arm ducked inside his robot body and then pulled out a small disk with a red button on it.

"Why do I get the feeling that anything with a red button on it is bad?" Samantha muttered to Mikey.

"'Cause it usually is, dudette," Mikey answered grimly.

"This is an EMP failsafe control," he explained, handing it to Leo. "It will overload all my circuitry and wipe out my entire memory core." Leo stared at the device in his hands.

"If you don't destroy me now, a weapon of ultimate destruction will fall into the hands of lunatics, who will not hesitate to use it!" Professor Honeycutt reminded him.

"I…I can't!" Leo protested. _He could never live with the guilt, _Samantha realized. _No matter how much his honor means to him, that guilt that he killed an innocent being would always be there with him. His heart's too pure and good to be torn apart so violently._

"You swore! On your honor!" the Professor reminded him as the three troops from each side came closer and closer to them. Samantha looked and saw the hesitation and fear on Leo's face as his finger started to inch towards the red button. She gripped Mikey's hand through the orange space suit and watched as Leo's finger came close to touching the red button. Suddenly, there was a blue light surrounding them. Samantha felt her heart soar. She'd never believed much in God, but now, she was grateful that maybe there was someone out there watching out for them.

"But…how can this be?!" the Professor inquired in shock. "My Teleportal didn't work!"

"Well…**somebody's** did!" Leo told him as they began to dematerialize.

"**Dis** feels kinda familiar!" Raph shouted.

"Yeah! And I didn't like it the first time!" Mikey yelled as Samantha felt herself being swept into utter darkness once more. When the darkness faded, Samantha found herself lying on her side next to Mikey.

"They're back!" she heard a voice exclaim and looked and saw the purple-haired man from before they'd gotten zapped into outer space standing nearby. That could only mean one thing: they were back in the TCRI building!

"Not **dis** place again!" Raph growled as they took off their helmets.

"We're home! Yahoo!" Mikey cheered. "We made it!" Then, he fell to the ground and kissed it. Samantha was about to kick him when she felt a presence behind her and turned to see three Triceratons and three Federation troops standing behind them.

"Heads up, everyone!" Leo shouted, turning and seeing them too. "I think we might've brought back some tagalongs!"

"Rule numba one: **never** pick up hitchhikers!" Raph growled as everyone drew their weapons.

"No! Remain stationary! Stay calm! We will return you to your native continuity!" the purple-haired man told them before ducking a laser blast.

"What is this madness?!" one of the Triceratons roared. "Where are the rest of our warriors?! The Fugitoid! SEIZE IT!"

"Oh dear!" the Professor gasped.

"FIRE!" a Federation troop yelled. Samantha and the others quickly began dodging the laser blasts as she dragged Professor Honeycutt to a safe place out of the path of the lasers. Just then, she peered around and saw the Triceraton troops as well as the Federation troops frozen in their tracks, glowing from some sort of blue light surrounding them. It was then that she and the Professor emerged from hiding and she faced off with the purple-haired man. Raph growled and narrowed his eyes, ready to attack. Samantha reached back for her wakizashi.

"My children! STOP!" shouted a familiar voice. Samantha whipped towards the sound which came from the shadows of a doorway. Flanked by two of the Guardians, a lively and well-looking Master Splinter appeared before them, walking stick and all!

"Master Splinter?!" Leo and Samantha shouted at the same time in shock.

"They are not our enemies!" Master Splinter told them firmly. The five looked at each other and then rushed forward.

"Master Splinter!" they cried, engulfing him in a huge, tight group hug. Samantha even planted kisses on his furry head and cheeks. She was so glad that he was alright.

"Yes, my children! It is good to see you…too!" he gasped. "Please! My spine!" They finally released him and he smiled at them. "Here. I want you to meet some friends," he told them. "I believe you have met the Guardians. It was they who found me after the battle with the Shredder and brought me here to these benevolent beings who saved my life. This is my good friend, Mr. Mortu," he introduced, gesturing to the man with the purple hair and glasses. "Mortu. These are my sons and my daughter, Princess Samantha Bushido."

"Umm…thank you. For saving our Sensei," Leonardo said, bowing. Samantha and the other three Turtles bowed to Mortu as well.

"But who are they?" Leo whispered to Master Splinter who walked forward towards one of the flying, pink aliens. "**What** are they?!"

"They call themselves Utroms, and their story is inextricably interwoven with our own," Master Splinter explained. "The ooze that originally mutated us all was a byproduct of their experiments with this Transmat device."

"So…the chemical makeup of the ooze is caused by the inter-dimensional shift of non-essential, sub-atomic particles," Don theorized.

"Quite fascinating," Samantha observed.

"But…where were we transported?! How'd we wind up back here?! And what-OW!" Mikey shouted as Raph smacked him in the head.

"All will be explained," Mortu replied. "But first, there's some business to take care of. Beam these intruders back to their original coordinates!"

"Yes sir," one of the aliens replied, pushing some buttons on the console with mechanical claws. The Transmat powered up and the intruders disappeared.

"Master Splinter. This is Dr. Honeycutt," Leon said, introducing the Fugitoid to their sensei.

"I must apologize for my present condition," Professor Honeycutt replied. "This mechanical body was not intended to be my own." Then, he explained the entire situation to Master Splinter as the five ninjas sat before their sensei. "And that's how I came to be here."

"I see my children have gotten into their usual amount of trouble in the eight hours they've been gone," Master Splinter observed, smiling. Everyone's jaws dropped.

"Eight hours?!" Leo repeated in shock.

"We were gone three weeks!" Raph shouted.

"Perhaps I can explain," Mr. Mortu replied. "The exigencies of inter-dimensional travel affect not only the basic laws of three-dimensional space, but the fluidity of temporal mechanics as well."

"That…is so… COOL!" Don shouted. Samantha smiled as the others merely looked confused.

"Yeah! If it made any sense at all!" Mikey yelled.

"What da heck is goin' on here?!" Raph demanded.

"My friends. Let there be no more secrets between us," Mortu told them before opening his jacket and ripping open his chest and stomach to reveal an Utrom inside of it. Samantha jumped back as everyone shrank back a little. "Follow me," Mortu instructed. "We shall begin at the beginning." And as the five ninjas, Professor Honeycutt and Master Splinter followed Mortu out of the Transmat room, Samantha thought to herself: _Even though it's good to be back home, I have to wonder whether or not all the excitement's really over yet? _And little did she know, there was more excitement on the way for her and her Turtle friends. A **lot** more.

**Me: Hello? Any mutants home? *walks in with Aster Sapphire*  
**

**Mikey: Hey! Our favorite author's back! And she brought company!**

**Aster Sapphire: Hey! You must be Mikey! Wow! You're so cute!  
**

**Mikey: Yes! A chick thinks I'm cute! AWESOME! *does happy dance*  
**

**Don: NOW what happened? *sees Aster Sapphire* Oh, hey. You must be another visiting fan. I'm Donatello. Call me Donny.  
**

**Aster Sapphire: Sure. I'm Aster Sapphire.  
**

**Don: Cool name. I've never heard of it, so it's...cool.  
**

**Leo: Hey guys. Livangel16. *sees Aster Sapphire* Hello. You must be another visiting fan. I'm...  
**

**Aster Sapphire: Leonardo! OH MY GOD! *tackles him to the ground and hugs him*  
**

**Me: Whoa! Take it easy! *hauls Aster Sapphire off of Leo and helps him up from the ground*  
**

**Aster Sapphire: I'm sorry! It's just...you're amazing! You're an awesome leader, you're smart, resourceful and...TOTALLY HOT!  
**

**Don: Oh God!  
**

**Me: Jealous, aren't ya Donny?  
**

**Don: I don't get jealous. It's an irrational emotional response to the feeling of inadequacy. And I do NOT feel inadequate!  
**

**Me: Right!  
**

**Leo: Well...thanks. You're pretty good looking yourself. *winks at Aster Sapphire who swoons*Ya know? Sapphire is my favorite gemstone.  
**

**Me: _I _thought it was diamond since it's the birthstone of your favorite author: namely, _moi_. At least, that's what you told _me _last week!  
**

**Mikey: *stops dancing and sniffs the air* I smell a catfight coming!  
**

**Raph: Yo. What'd I miss?  
**

**Don: I think one of Livangel16's visiting fans and her are about to get into a fight over Leo.  
**

**Raph: Over Leo?! Wow! Where da Hell is da world heading to?! **

**Aster Sapphire: Come on, Livangel16! The guy's allowed to change his mind! He obviously likes me.  
**

**Me: Don't get too used to it, sister! Leo and I have been around each other longer, so I'm his natural choice!  
**

**Aster Sapphire: He's MINE!  
**

**Me: No way! He's MINE!  
**

**Aster Sapphire: There's only one way ta settle this!  
**

**Me: *takes out two samurai swords and hands one to Aster Sapphire* Samurai swords to the death?  
**

**Aster Sapphire: Winner gets the blue-bandana turtle?  
**

**Me: Done.  
**

**Aster Sapphire: Alright then.  
**

**Raph: Now, ladies. I want a clean, vicious catfight! Sword-strokes, hair-pulling, scratching of the eyes and kicking are allowed. There will be no use of magic spells, voodoo curses or nuclear weapons of mass destruction. Are the opponents ready? *Aster Sapphire and me nod* Then...BEGIN! *Me and Aster Sapphire start dueling with the swords*  
**

**Mikey: Man, Leo! I can't believe two girls are fighting over _you!_  
**

**Leo: Neither can I!  
**

**Don: Don't think this somehow makes you better than us, bro!  
**

**Raph: Jealous much, Donny?  
**

**Mikey: He'll never admit to _that_, Raphie Boy!  
**

**Don: I'm NOT jealous! *turns to the audience* OK. I'[m completely and utterly jealous! When's it gonna be my turn to have two, cute girls fighting it out with samurai swords over _me_?! *cricket chirps* Man! Even the audience is silent with me! *sighs and continues watching the duel*  
**

**Yay! They're back home and Master Splinter is safe and alive! And now, you have to wait until the next chapter to find out what happens! But don't worry. I'm in a nice mood, so it should be up tomorrow before the weekend starts and you can enjoy more action with the guys in green and your favorite ninja princess! So, review, review, review and check out my other TMNT story as well as the others that I've written for Fanfiction! Happy reading!  
**

**-Livangel16  
**


	46. Chapter 46

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**I'm ALIVE! So, first I need to apologize for being gone for so long! Just started my second year of university and need to buckle down and study if I wanna get into law school! But, I'm back for the moment and now shout-outs to all my lovely reviewers: grapejuice101, pokemonjkl, Aster Sapphire, IceColdFever, ****flamedragon242, Kimmie98, ninja-warrior101, mchap1154, Josh Haner, missymousemonster, bell-13-tmnt-lover, WolfAssassin369, White Fairy Writer, HuskerKnight227, akirainuzuka, Artemisia Skywalker and honkytonk-babe3! You know you guys are awesome! Keep the reviews coming! So, this is the first of a two chapter update for today and, to make up to you guys, there;s a special treat in the next chapter! What is it? You'll have to read it to find out! For now, here is chapter forty-six based on season 2 episodes 6 and 7: Secret Origins, parts 1 and 2! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Forty-Six

Samantha, the Turtles, Professor Honeycutt and Master Splinter all followed Mortu through the winding hallways of the building and into a room that seemed to glow orange. They crossed a small bridge and Samantha gazed around the huge room in shock. Thick wires and metal pipes ran throughout the room and circled the ceiling. The Utrom led them to a strange device that had six pod-like spaces that were all linked to one another.

"I've seen this movie," Mikey whispered to Don as he walked beside him. "We're…uh…not gonna have anything burst out of our chests, are we?" Don and Samantha looked at each other and exchanged eye-rolls as Mortu stopped before the device and his exo-skeleton stretched its arms wide.

"This is the Oracle Pod Chamber," he informed them. "Where our race assumes its highest state of communion. Where many minds enter into oneness by sharing life experience. Inside these pods, you will be able to share the story of our lives."

"Ya know, I can't think of one science fiction movie where a "pod" has been a good thing!" Mikey said, gulping.

"Mikey. Sometimes I think those horror movies you watched have completely addled your brain," Samantha replied back in a harsh whisper. Mortu stepped towards a console and began powering up the Pod Chamber.

"All will be explained," Mortu replied calmly. "Please. Enter the pods." Just then, the plastic covering of the pods opened. Samantha was a bit frightened by these "pods", but she swallowed them down and stepped into a pod beside Master Splinter with Don on her other side. Just then, her arms were clamped down by some sort of shackles, but they didn't feel like the ones the Prime Leader had used on her. Just then, a weird helmet came down and clamped itself onto Samantha's head, jarring her slightly. It felt strange to the young woman and, as she could surmise from the reactions of her friends, strange to the Turtles as well.

"Easy!" Raph growled.

"Fascinating!" Don breathed.

"A little off the top please!" Mikey joked as his helmet came down. Samantha felt slightly creeped out by the helmet landing on her head, but she decided that there were worse things that could be placed on her head. Then, strange clamps appeared around her hands, and she started freaking out just a little bit. She turned t her right where Donatello was strapped into his pod. She and Don locked eyes, and he gave her a small smile. She smiled back and felt as though he had just lifted a huge weight from her shoulders with his own hands, and that reassured her that she'd be alright.

"Prepare yourselves to become one with the sacred memories of the Utroms," Mortu told them as he pushed a lever on the console with his tentacle. Suddenly, Samantha began feeling drowsy, like she'd been in classes all day without a break. Her eyelids began drooping, and then just as her eyes closed, there was a flash of bright, yellow light and Samantha found herself standing in the midst of some sort of grey and yellow whirlwind. Looking beside her, she saw the Turtles and Master Splinter standing in the midst of it with her.

"Amazing! Technically, this is only happening in our minds and we're all sharing the experience simultaneously!" Donatello breathed. He started swatting at the air. Just then, the vortex faded away and the six friends were standing in the midst of a huge spaceship. All around them, Utroms in little hover devices, sitting on high stools or just walking around on their tentacles were spread out across the ship, sitting at consoles or checking machinery.

"Whoa, dudes!" Mikey gasped in excitement. "We're on an Utrom starship!"

"This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen in my life!" Samantha breathed. She turned to Don, who she saw was drooling over the advanced technology that was surrounding him. Her smile widened considerably before she held her fingers in front of Don's face and snapped them, as if waking him out of a trance.

"Earth to lovestruck turtle genius!" she giggled as she watched Don shake his head vigorously.

"What?" he asked, sounding slightly dazed. Then, his eyes seemed to clear. "Oh sorry. I'm just really falling in love with this technology."

"Should I be jealous?" Samantha inquired, a playful tone to her voice as she looked quite murderous.

"Of course not, Sam," Don replied, smiling. "I mean, don't get me wrong. Technology means a lot to me. But **you** mean the world to me." Samantha blushed and looked away, smiling.

"Awww!" Mikey cooed. Master Splinter and Leo smiled while Raph smirked.

"Your blessing, honored navigators?" one of the Utroms at the bridge turned and said. Samantha looked and saw three more Utroms floating in some sort of huge tank of liquid.

"I thought Donny needed Uncle Kenji's blessing before he popped the question to Sammy," Mikey joked. "Guess the Utroms are standing in for him!"

"Mikey!" Don and Samantha snapped together.

"Your course is straight and true," one of them said, its eyes glowing.

"Through the vastness of space and time," the second said. His voice sounded monotone.

"Captain. You have the blessings of..." the third one said before all three chimed, "The Navigators." All of them sounded monotone.

"Master Splinter, look! Your friend Mortu is the Captain!" Leo declared, pointing towards the Utrom who'd moved back to the wheel of the ship and was steering it expertly. Mikey walked over to the tank that contained the three Navigators.

"OK. I'm not even gonna **ask** about the brains in the jar, Mr. Mortu," Mikey said, pressing his face against the glass. But Mr. Mortu didn't even seem to hear Mikey. And Samantha was sure that it wasn't because he was deliberately ignoring Mikey. She would've been able to tell if he was. After all, she'd seen Raph do it a hundred times before.

"Mr. Mortu?! Guys?! Yo, blobheads!" Mikey called, waving his arms in front of the faces of the Navigators. Again, it was as though they hadn't even seen him.

"Fine! Be that way!" Mikey snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. "Snooty Utroms!" Samantha rolled her eyes and smiled while Don patted Mikey's shoulder.

"Mikey. This is all Utrom _history_," Donny reminded him. "It's already happened, and we're just experiencing it in our minds. It's like watching a movie in our heads."

"B...B...But it all seems so **real**!" Mikey protested. He pressed his hand against the glass once more, and this time, Samantha and the others watched as Mikey's hand went right through the container, the spot growing neon green. Just then, a mighty, rushing wind seemed to come out of nowhere and blew all around them. The grey-yellow vortex reappeared, and Samantha felt her hair blowing across her face.

"Whoa! What's happening?!" Raph demanded, punching at the air.

"If this is a movie...I think we're cutting to the next scene!" Mikey theorized as the vortex once again vanished and they found themselves in the midst of a dark room that was dimly lit with red, glowing lights. Samantha heard a snarl and turned to see a dark-red Utrom with purple scars held in chains. His razor-sharp teeth and vicious decorum made Samantha take a step back.

"These security precautions are pitiful!" You will _never _hold _me_!" the Utrom prisoner growled. His voice was rough and sent shivers down her spine. She instinctively moved closer to Donatello. Just then, Mr. Mortu appeared and floated into the room on a small hover disk with claws on the sides.

"We have finally re-captured you after a one hundred year search!" Mr. Mortu replied, glaring at the prisoner. "We're _not _ about to lose the most ruthless criminal the universe has ever known! I promise you this!"

The prisoner began laughing evilly just like a regular supervillian.

"Again with the evil laugh?!" Samantha snorted. "**Cliché!**"

"You know he can't hear you Samantha, right?" Leo reminded her.

"I _will_ escape, and you will _all_ perish!" the prisoner jeered. "That is **my** promise!" Mortu and the prisoner Utrom glared at each other.

"See?!" Leo pointed out, gesturing to the Utrom prisoner and Mortu.

"Big talk, little slimeball!" Raph snapped.

"Big talk, little slimeball!" Mortu growled.

"Hey. I like the way dis Mortu guy thinks!" Raph chuckled.

"Of course!" Leo and Sam both groaned before they looked at each other. Leo smiled at her, but Samantha felt something very strange between the two of them. Like something life-changing had happened between them. She quickly averted his eyes and stared back at the prisoner, aware that the blue-bandana turtle's eyes were still on her.

"Yoo-hoo! Hey there, ya ugly, little Utrom!" Mikey teased, wiggling his fingers at the glass and then started making faces at the red Utrom. His face was set in a snarl, and the ninja princess couldn't help but want to kick the little freak for some reason. But Mikey was taking it a little too far. Samantha was about to step in and intervene when Master Splinter beat her to the punch and hauled him away quite roughly.

"Michelangelo!" he scolded harshly. "You should know better than to tempt fate!"

"But Master Splinter!" Mikey complained before he turned back to the prisoner. "You're always saying that we should tell the truth. And the truth is that Mr. Creepy here is pretty ugly!" He turned and began making faces once again at the Utrom prisoner.

"That is **not** the point!" Master Splinter sighed, smacking a head to his forehead.

"I wish this wasn't a virtual reality, Mikey," Samantha told him bluntly. "Then maybe that little slimeball would bite you or jump on your head or something. Anything to get you to stop goofing off!"

"Relax, Sammy! Yeesh! You're starting to sound like Leo!" Mikey retorted, smirking. She gave Mikey an annoyed look and avoiding any eye contact with Leo. Just then, the cell disappeared and the vortex appeared once again, the mighty wind howling and sending Samantha's hair cascading into Don's face. When it finally vanished, they were standing once again inside the bridge and Mortu was at the helm, piloting the starship. Don quickly wiped away strands of Samantha's hair from his face near his mouth.

"Yuck!" he declared, spitting out a few more strands. "I think I might've swallowed some of your hair, Sam!"

"Great! My ends are probably covered in turtle spit!" Samantha joked.

"But not just **any** turtle's spit! It's **Don's** turtle spit, Sammy!" Mikey teased. Samantha's cheeks flushed red and she wanted to launch herself forward, but she felt someone grab her arm. She turned and smiled when she saw Don giving her a look that told her he'd take care of getting revenge on Mikey.

"Hey! Look!" Don exclaimed, sounding very much like a young child on his first ever trip to the Museum of Natural History. He was pointing out the windshield to a very familiar sphere of blue waters and green masses. "They're passing close to Earth!" Just then an Utrom came floating in, looking panicked and terrified. Don, who'd moved closer to the windshield to look, was shocked as much as Samantha was when the Utrom passed right through him! He shivered slightly.

"Captain! The prisoner has escaped!" the Utrom yelled in fear.

"Security! Report!" Mortu commanded through a small radio on the console.

"The prisoner is attacking! We are...AAAHHH!" the voice shouted, and then the lights began flickering.

"Emergency power cut," one of the Navigators said.

"Engines are offline," another one intoned in the same monotone voice.

"Our minds are going dark," the third one said.

"Cell by cell...we are undone," they chimed together before the glow of their eyes faded and they looked to be sleeping. Samantha felt badly for them and wished that she could kick that little red Utrom's sorry butt. Mortu and a crew of other Utroms went running towards the engine room where the prisoner was most likely located right now. Samantha felt a wave of sadness wash over her as she watched them go.

"I hope nothin' bad happens to dese guys," Raph commented, looking a little sad. "I'm kinda gettin' ta like 'em."

"Whatever happened to these guys...it's all history now Raph," Leo replied in a somber tone. Just then, the bridge of the ship vanished and the vortex once again reappeared.

"A scene change would come after a line like that," Samantha muttered, but Leo still heard her and smirked. She rolled her eyes and turned away from him, missing the hurt look on his face, but Don didn't. Just then, the vortex vanished and they were in the midst of the dark engine room. Samantha felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Just then, she could dim lights coming from the approaching disks of the Utroms. The dark masses that stood in the shadows were creeping the young ninja princess out!

"Careful! The prisoner is **very** crafty!" Mortu cautioned his crew as they floated through the dark room searching for the escaped Utrom prisoner. Just then, an evil laugh filled the silent air of the room as the prisoner emerging, holding two, sparking wires. Samantha was the closest to him and Leo quickly snatched her arm and pulled her away, putting her behind him as everyone started backing up.

"You see?! I **always** keep my promises!" the prisoner cackled evilly. "Goodbye..._Captain_!" He pushed the two wires together and a huge explosion ripped through the engine room. Suddenly, Samantha felt the ship starting to tilt at a dangerous angle. She lost her balance and screamed as she fell and started sliding away from the others. Don jumped and seized her hand. He began sliding forwards as well, but Raph grabbed him and pulled him and Samantha back.

"Oh no ya don't, Einstein!" Raph growled as he pulled Don to his feet. Don turned and then helped Samantha up as well.

"Grab on to the beams!" Leo shouted as he and Master Splinter herded everyone over to some overhanging beams near a wall. Samantha quickly grabbed onto it and felt her back slam against the wall. But there was no pain from it. The walls were softer than she'd expected in a starship, but if it wouldn't give her back pain, she wasn't complaining. Even though they were on a doomed starship and were all about to die!

"Helmsman! Set course for that uncharted planet!" Mortu commanded one of the Utroms. He tried to level off the ship but quit in frustration and braced for a huge crash landing.

"We are Utroms! We are one! We shall not fail! We shall NOT fail!" Mortu yelled as he clung on to his seat with all his might.

"It's only a movie! It's only a movie!" Mikey repeated in fear. "It's only a movie! It's only a...WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" Mikey screamed as the ship began passing through the atmosphere of Earth. Samantha squeezed her eyes tightly and tried to remain calm. But just as she started to feel slightly calm, there was a sound of metal bending and then the beam she was holding onto completely snapped in two.

"Sam!" Don shouted. She screamed as she began to fall, but just then, someone grabbed her wrist. She looked up and saw that it was Leo. Even though she still didn't know why she felt strange around him, she felt some relief wash over her as her Protector held on to her.

"Don't let go!" she shouted.

"Never!" he replied firmly, gripping her wrist even more tightly as more alarms began blaring throughout the doomed ship. _At least I'll see my father and mother again if we die,_ Samantha thought to herself. Just then, a warm feeling washed over her like a warm, ocean breeze coming off the Caribbean Sea.

_We're not gonna die, Samantha!_ she heard Leo's voice tell her in her mind. Then, the warm feeling vanished and she could once more feel the adrenaline pounding through her veins. Shocked and surprised, she looked back up at the turtle holding her wrist. He was staring at her as well and could predict the question that was about to come out of her mouth.

"How'd you do that?" she inquired.

"I don't know," Leo answered, looking shocked. Speaking to her through his mind hadn't even been on his mind. A warm feeling had come over him, but he hadn't tapped into that mental connection that Master Splinter had taught him. So how had he heard what she was thinking and then been able to respond to her in the correct manner?

"What are you two talking about?" Don inquired, his gaze altering between his brother and his girlfriend.

"Who cares?!" Mikey screeched. "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE! IT'S OVER! OH GOD! I WANNA LIVE! I WANNA LIVE!" The Utrom ship skidded across a huge body of water and then headed straight for a huge shoreline. The nose of the ship scraped against the shoreline and Samantha saw herself and everyone else flicker before there was a sickening sound of metal-on-metal and the Utrom ship split into several hundreds of pieces. Leo immediately let go of Samantha's hand and she fell onto the softness of the sand. She looked and saw the others emerging from the wreckage along with injured Utroms.

"Dude! I can't believe we're in one piece!" Mikey breathed as the moans of the Utroms filled the silent air. He looked over himself and then his brothers, father and the ninja princess.

"Neither can I," Samantha seconded. "I thought we were goners!"

"Remember: this is all a memory. An illusion," Donatello reminded them as an Utrom crawled from the wreckage near to where they were standing.

"An illusion!" Mikey scoffed, groaning sickly. "Tell **that** to my stomach!" Doubling over, he retched and puked all over the scrap metal and the ground.

"Eeww!" Samantha screeched, jumping back to avoid the puddle of vomit. She tripped over a piece of the steering column of the ship and tumbled backwards before someone caught her mid-fall. She looked up and recognized the blue bandana. Leo.

"You OK, Samantha?" Leo asked. His arms were around her waist, his face close to hers. Sam looked and saw that her hands were on his shoulders. She also saw that Donatello was giving his eldest brother the look of death for holding his girlfriend in such a loving embrace.

"I'm fine, Leo," she replied, turning her face away from his eyes. He straightened her up and she moved away from him and towards the gathering throng of Utroms nearby. The Navigators were still in their suspended case, which was miraculously intact from such a hard crash landing. Mortu was among them and had a star map displayed from his little hovering device. Samantha made sure she stayed close to Mikey, who was still moaning and groaning from his upset stomach.

"My friends and honored Navigators. We are all safe," Mortu informed them. "But the ship is ruined. We are stranded on this primitive planet millions of light-years from our home world."

"There is not enough to salvage," one of the Navigators said.

"To repair the ship," another finished. "We cannot..."

"Return to our home world?" the third inquired.

"No," Mortu answered gravely.

"How do these guys always know how and when to complete each other's sentences?" Samantha whispered to Don. He shrugged.

"How **are** they gonna get home?" Mikey asked, sounding scared for the Utroms. Samantha was fearful for their new friends as well. And she felt a desire to rip that little red Utrom to shreds for doing this to them! Which raised a question: where **was** that evil, little piece of fungus anyways?

"Captain! There's a structure beyond the next rise!" one of the Utroms reported. Following the mass of Utroms and Mortu through the thick, luscious forests of the strange country they were in. Some distance to her right, Samantha saw an avenue of cherry blossom trees, their scattered petals blowing in a soft, almost mystical breeze. She could smell their intoxicating scent and immediately knew where they were. Her eyes brightened.

"Does anybody know where da shell we are?" Raph questioned.

"I think Sam does," Don said, smirking. He'd seen the look in his girlfriend's eyes when she'd seen the avenue of cherry blossom trees. She simply smiled and kept her gaze on the horizon as they came to the summit of the hill and they saw a large temple on a hill. Below it lay the thatched houses and buildings of a small village whose style was all too familiar to the six friends.

"This is...**Japan**!" Leo breathed in amazement. On another hill nearby, Samantha could see a samurai warrior training against the Sun. The beauty and splendor of her homeland in another time period took her breath away.

"11th century Feudal Japan from the look of it," Don added.

"Thanks for that little tidbit, my turtle genius," Samantha teased, causing Don to blush with embarrassment. She quickly gave him a kiss on the cheek as a way of apologizing for that, and he smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I got one word. Wow!" Raph said, gazing around at the beauty and splendor of the Japanese village below them.

"My home at one of the most amazing points in its history," Samantha said, beaming proudly. "It is an honor that I thought I would never have."

"I know what you mean, Sam!" Leo said excitedly. "To actually be here! To see the birthplace of your father, Bushido! And ninjitsu!"

"Hey guys! Check me out!" Mikey shouted, hurrying towards the samurai warrior "I'm in a samurai movie!" He took up a fighting stance and then began "battling" the samurai. Where the nunchucks and the samurai's sword would've met, there was only a green light as Mikey carried on his antics and then held his nunchucks in his hands like the ninja he was.

"Your blade cannot touch the mighty ronin Michelangelo-san!" Mikey said, with a deep Japanese accent. "I am the storming sea! I am the breaking wind!"

"**I **am completely and utterly embarrassed to say that I know you, Mikey!" Samantha muttered, slapping a hand over her eyes and shaking her head.

"At least **you're** not related to him!" Don reminded her, shaking his head in utter disbelief.

"Michelangelo!" Master Splinter scolded. "Show some respect!"

"Sorry Sensei," Mikey replied, walking away from the samurai and back towards them when he stopped and saw three, rice balls and a mug with some sort of drink. No doubt it was the samurai's breakfast and Samantha groaned when she saw his face light up and heard him say, "Well I'm **definitely **gonna respect his breakfast!" He knelt down and tried to pick up a rice ball, but there was only that same green light and his hand passing through the rice ball. "Huh?" He tried again, and the same thing happened. He continued swiping at the rice balls and always missing. Everyone came over and Samantha burst out laughing. The others were quick to join her.

"There is some sort of lesson here," Master Splinter chuckled. "But I'm enjoying this too much to remember what it is!"

"C'mon guys," Samantha giggled, spotting their friends heading back towards their camp. "The Utroms are headed back to their ship." Still snickering, the six friends headed back to the damaged remains of the Utrom ship. By the time they'd returned, night had fallen and the glowing light of a fire was a source of both light and most likely heat for them. Samantha stood near the fire close to Mikey and Master Splinter.

"In brief, Captain, we conclude that the technology on this planet is too primitive to build a flying vehicle," one of the Utroms reported to Mortu, showing him a holographic image of Earth. "Let alone an interstellar ship or a hyperspace transmat device. The technology simply does **not** exist!"

"**Not yet**!" Mortu countered firmly. "But we can wait!"

"OK! Reality check!" Mikey shouted. "How long do these guys live?! They're gonna wait **centuries** to build a way home?!"

"I believe **that** is exactly what they do," Master Splinter replied wisely.

"They have a lot of hope these Utroms," Samantha observed, smiling slightly. "And more patience than I've ever seen before in my life. But they can't simply walk with humans. Especially not in **this** era. The people will think they're _kappa_!"

"Ka-what?" Raph inquired, looking confused.

"_Kappa. _Water demons," Don answered.

"And I think they have a solution to that particular problem, Samantha," Leo added, pointing to a large screen of bamboo poles where two Utroms hovered by.

"From our technology we were able to salvage from the crash, I give you...the **exosuit**!" The screen was pulled away to reveal the same exosuit that Samantha and the others had seen back in their time. There was a slot in the stomach for the Utroms to be able to insert themselves and control the movement of it through two levers.

"With the proper covering, these will allow us to move among the humans undetected," the same Utrom concluded, inserting himself into the stomach of the exosuit. He was smiling proudly and Samantha couldn't help but smile as well.

"So **that's** how they came to develop those robot bodies!" Don said in pleasant shock. "Amazing!" Master Splinter simply smiled.

"I believe a field test..." the Utrom said, trying to get the hang of controlling the exosuit. "...is in order." Donning a scarlet kimono and a straw hat to cover the metallic, robotic face, the Utrom shakily began stumbling down the road, gaining more and more precision until he was walking just like a regular human in Japan would.

"Satisfactory," the Utrom breathed in relief. "Most satisfactory. Test one concluded. First outing, a complete success!" Just then, Samantha saw a tripwire up ahead. She was about to shout, but it was too late. The Utrom had already stepped on the wire and triggered a trap.

"It's a trap! Look out!" Leo shouted as a huge log came swinging from a rope seemingly out of nowhere. Thankfully, it passed right through the six ninjas, but it hit the Utrom square in the chest and sent him flying into the bamboo forest. The kimono was open and the injured Utrom looked up to see a horrific sight.

"You!" it shouted. Samantha and the others gasped when they saw the Utrom prisoner standing on the log above the other Utrom, smiling evilly.

"What a wonderful toy! **I** want to play!" the prisoner Utrom said, looking down at the other one with an evil glint in his eyes.

"It's dat evil Utrom!" Raph growled, his hands on the handles of his sais. They watched as the prisoner shoved the other Utrom out of the exosuit and took control of it. "I was kinda hoping he didn't survive dat crash!" He drew his sais and crossed them in front of his face.

"Something** that** evil doesn't die so easily, Raph," Samantha reminded him as she reached back to pull out her wakizashi. The other Utrom tried to scurry away, but the prisoner picked him up by the tentacles using the exosuit and held him dangling in the air, laughing evilly.

"I know dis happened a long time ago, but I'm getting mad **right now**!" Raph shouted as everyone drew their weapons and advanced on the evil Utrom in the exosuit. He threw the other Utrom into the bushes hard.

"That's it!" Samantha declared. "Let's take down this little piece of fungus once and for all!" She leapt into the air and went in for a sword strike, but she completely passed through the exosuit and the evil Utrom. The same thing happened when each of the Turtles attempted to land a blow to the prisoner and the exosuit.

"Well **that** was useless!" Don observed as the prisoner Utrom walked away in the exosuit unscathed, chuckling darkly. Just then, the vortex appeared once more and the howling winds returned once again.

"Now what?!" Raph demanded, still angry about the evil Utrom not getting pounded by them.

"Time's passing," Don answered. The vortex vanished once more and they found themselves back at the remains of the Utrom ship. More exosuits were being developed by Mortu and the other Utroms. " A lot of time." Some of the Utroms were gathering up parts from the wrecked ship and

"What's happening?" Raph shouted. Just then, two ninjas appeared and threw a device that caused multiple explosions to occur. The Utroms gasped and glanced around through the smoke and fires for some explanation to this unprovoked attack.

"Wait a second! Are those guys..._ninjas_?" Samantha questioned in shock and disbelief.

"I think so, Sam," Don replied, looking shocked.

"What are they doing here?" Mikey asked as the Utroms's gazes turned horrified as a huge, metal figure landed in the midst of the ninjas. The others had yet to see it, but Samantha had, and the sight of it was filling her veins with ice.

"My guess? They're with **him**!" Samantha breathed in horror, pointing to the red-eyed figure of the Shredder, claw and all, his armor looking a little less like the one they'd seen in their time, but it was frightening nonetheless. The others all gasped.

"Are you seeing what** I'm** seeing?!" Mikey demanded in horror.

"I wish I weren't, Mikey!" Samantha gulped, her hand closing around the Amulet around her neck. Leo quickly wrapped an arm around Sam's waist and pulled her beside him.

"It looks kinda like the Shredder!" Leo shouted.

"Kinda looks **too much** like da Shredder!" Raph jumped in, glaring at the red-eyed, armored figure before them.

"But it can't be the Shredder!" Leo reasoned.

"Ninjas! Attack! Destroy them all!" the Shredder commanded. Even with the exosuits and shock staves , the Utroms were no match for the Shredder and his ninjas.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Mortu demanded as he faced off with the Shredder. "We mean you no harm!" The Shredder (or whoever it was) ignored Mortu's words and proceeded to attack him. The Utrom was defenseless as he was pummeled to the ground.

"We come in peace!" Mortu exclaimed in fear as the Shredder stood over him, his claw looking deadly and his foot raised to squash the Utrom Captain.

"But you will go...in _pieces_!" the Shredder declared before his foot came down. Mortu managed to dodge the blow just in the nick of time, but Samantha and the others didn't know how much longer

"It can't be **our** Shredder!" Don theorized aloud. "This is 700 years ago! It must be the Shredder's ancestor or something!"

"Great! Now there's a whole family of psychopaths!" Samantha groaned, clutching the Amulet ever so tighter. Just then, the Shredder's ancestor turned and began walking away from the carnage with Mikey following close behind.

"Mikey. Get back! Don't get too close to him!" Leo warned.

"Ah, come on Leo!" Mikey protested as he kept going. "Like you told me: it's not real. See?" He walked straight through the Shredder's ancestor, who'd stopped. "Hey Ugly!" he taunted, sticking his tongue out and making faces at him. Just then, Samantha's Amulet glowed again and she saw a spider-like robot creature in the TCRI building, Mikey lying unconscious on the ground before them, the Shredder's ancestor with the Sword of Tengu and an elderly man chanting some sort of spell. She gasped and fell to her knees. Leo and Don were at her sides in an instant.

"Samantha! What's wrong?!" Don demanded worriedly.

"Forget about me!" she grunted, raising her head and seeing too close to the Shredder for comfort. "MIKEY! GET BACK!" she screamed. Just then, she could feel the ground underneath her hands and they were their normal color. She reached back and found only an empty scabbard. Her wakizashi was gone! She glanced and saw that the others were all looking normal as well and their weapons had also vanished.

"What the-?!" Raph exclaimed.

"Our weapons! They've disappeared!" Leo shouted.

"Guys!" Don yelled, pointing to the Shredder and Mikey, who'd materialized behind him.

"What?!" the Shredder demanded as he advanced on Mikey who was backing away from him nervously. Just then, with a hard blow from his claw hand, Mikey was sent flying backwards hard and smashed into the ground.

"MIKEY!" Samantha screeched as she broke away from the others and sprinted over to the unconscious ninja turtle. She flung herself down beside him and seized his wrist in her hand. His pulse was weak, but he was still alive.

"Mikey!" Leo shouted as the others came hurrying forward behind her.

"Oh no!" Raph gasped.

"Michelangelo!" Master Splinter yelled.

"He's barely breathing," Samantha told them, tears flowing down her face as Leo, Raph and Master Splinter all kneeled in the dirt around Michelangelo. Leo was right next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Curious," the Shredder said to himself before he turned to his ninjas. "Capture the girl and those... _strange creatures_. They may prove useful."

"Michelangelo needs help! He is badly hurt!" Master Splinter told his sons and the ninja princess.

"Someone must've altered the program on us!" Don shouted.

"Whatever! We're in it up to our necks now! This reality isn't virtual anymore!" Leo replied as Samantha leapt to her feet and got into a fighting stance alongside the others. It was then that she saw something in the reflection of the blade of the ninja before her: the Amulet. It was still here with them, around her neck. How was it possible?

"Steady guys! This is about to get ugly!" Leo warned as the ninjas clenched the hilts of their swords tighter and prepared to attack.

"This shouldn't be happening!" Don protested. "This is supposed to be **virtual** reality!" Don kicked a ninja away and backflipped to avoid an attack from another. "They're not supposed to be able to see us! Let alone **attack** us!"

"Try telling that to **them**, Donny!" Sam fired back as she did a reverse dragon kick that sent two ninjas sprawling backwards.

"C'mon ladies! Let's dance!" Raph growled as he held a ninja's arm behind his back and used his other sword hand to fight off his companions before kicking all three of them down.

"My son! Can you hear me, Michelangelo?!" Master Splinter whispered to his son. There was no response, and Samantha felt the anger bubbling up inside of her as she punched another ninja square in the face.

"Leonardo! We must become shadows!" Master Splinter instructed urgently. Leo nodded.

"Guys! Time to disappear!" Leo ordered. "Raph! Grab Mikey and head for the bamboo! Don, Samantha, you're with me!" Raph put Mikey over his shoulders like a fireman and then disappeared into the bamboo forest. Master Splinter quickly sliced some bamboo with his paws and leapt into the air.

"My children! Catch!" he shouted, kicking three sets of bamboo to the ninjas. Samantha caught one of them and quickly smacked three ninjas away. She thought about using her Amulet, but what if it was just an illusion and nothing happened? Just then, she saw the ninjas retreat and part, and the Shredder's ancestor came back on the scene of the battle.

"Uh-oh! Here comes the Shredder's great-great-grandpappy!" Leo warned them. Archers stood at his side and fired arrows at the ninjas. Samantha quickly blocked them with her improvised bamboo sword and gasped when the arrow came close to grazing her stomach. This reality was becoming more and more dangerous every second.

"These guys might not be real, but they mean business!" Don exclaimed as he blocked two arrows.

"Samantha! Your Amulet!" Leo shouted, noticing the relic was still around Samantha's neck. "Try and use it!"

"I don't know if it'll work here or not!" Samantha replied, dodging another arrow.

"No time like the present to do a test drive, Sam!" Don told her bluntly as two more arrows found their way into his bamboo staff.

"Alright! Then get behind me!" Samantha shouted before closing her eyes. When she opened them again, her vision was red. She smiled slightly. The _tengu's_ powers were working. She smashed a fist to the ground, sending a huge, mountain of earth shooting straight towards Shredder and the ninjas. They were all pushed back by it. She turned and her vision returned to normal. Her head was pounding, but Don caught her easily, smiling at his brave, ninja girlfriend.

"It worked!" he exclaimed. She turned and saw the Shredder gazing at the glowing Amulet before his eyes narrowed at her.

"C'mon! Let's go!" Leo shouted, and the three of them leapt into the trees. Keeping close to the shadows of the tree leaves and branches, Samantha watched as the ninjas and the Shredder's ancestor sliced through the bamboo hoping to find them. But they were well-hidden.

"Send some men to watch the road through the forest!" the Shredder commanded. "They won't get far! You others! Come with me! I have important business in the village!" Samantha watched them walk away, wanting so badly to shoot off an arrow and catch that bastard in his neck for hurting Mikey and almost killing them.

"Don, Samantha, go find the others! Make sure they're OK!" Leo told his brother and the ninja princess. "I'm gonna follow Mr. Personality for a bit!"

"No way! I'm coming with you!" Sam told him. "Someone's gotta watch your back!"

"No way, Samantha!" Leo argued, looking at her sternly. "I saw that look the Shredder's ancestor gave you when he saw you use the Amulet! I won't put you in harm's way! I'll be fine!" Before Samantha could say a word of protest, Leo leapt down from his position on the bamboo branch and hurried off after the Shredder and his ninjas.

"C'mon, Sam," Don told her. Samantha followed her boyfriend through the thickets, avoiding the heavily-guarded main road through this forest and finally, they reached a secluded clearing in the forest and found Master Splinter, Raph and Mikey. Raph came forward and breathed a visible sigh of relief when he saw the two of them.

"How is he?" Samantha asked Master Splinter. The elderly rat sighed gravely.

"We must be careful," Master Splinter replied. The unconscious Mikey was lying down with his head resting on a rock. "Michelangelo is not well. And I fear that in this dream world, if we believe we have died, then we will truly die." Samantha choked back a sob. Instead, she snarled in frustration and stormed off to a distant corner of the makeshift camp, arms crossed over her chest and silent, angry tears pouring down her face. She felt gentle arms wrap around her waist and pull her close to the person standing behind her. She turned and saw that it was Don. She didn't try to hide the fact that she was crying, that she might look weak to him.

"It's going to be alright, Sam," he whispered to her, gently wiping her tears away. "We're gonna be alright. We'll figure out something."

"I know, Don," she whispered. "But I just...I just feel so...so..._frustrated_! I mean, first we get stuck in this virtual reality! Then Mikey gets hurt! And then there's this weird feeling that I keep getting around Leo! And...!"

"It's a lot of stuff to handle all at once," Don finished, his arms tightening their grip around her waist. "But what do you mean that you feel weird around Leo?"

"I don't know," she confessed. "Ever since we came back from space, I just feel as though...something happened between us that's changed everything and...Don?" she said, noticing how her boyfriend's face had turned from her when she'd mentioned outer space. "Don? What is it? What's wrong?"

"There's... something you need to know, Sam," Don answered in a serious tone that sent unpleasant shivers down Sam's spine.

"OK. Tell me."

"When we were on the Triceraton Republic and the _tengu _ took over you, something **did** happen between you and Leo."

"Did I attack him?!"

"Not in a manner of speaking."

"Then what happened?"

"You...you were taunting me. Or rather, the _tengu_ was taunting me using your voice. It told me that Leo was still in love with you and was planning to steal you from me. It was filling my head with suspicions about my own brother. It wanted me to destroy him, but I couldn't do it. Then, he tried to grab you, but you dodged him and came back to the ground. You stumbled and he caught you. I think he must've thought that you'd somehow managed to fight off the _tengu_. But you didn't. It was all a trick. And then... you told me: "You wanna see betrayal, Donatello?! Watch **this**!" And then...you...you...you _kissed_ him."

"WHAT?!" Raph shot her a glare that told her to keep it down as there were a bunch of ninjas looking for them.

"I...I...I _kissed_ him?! Oh my God! Donny, I...I didn't know! The _tengu_ came and told me that it'd done something and wished me luck trying to repair the damage. But I never thought...I never dreamed...!"

"It's not your fault, Sam!"

"Yes it is!"

"No! It...!" Just then, they heard the rustling of leave from nearby and everyone's guard was immediately raised. Then, a shadowy figure jumped down and the faint light of the Sun through the leaves of the forest revealed the blue bandana of Leo. Don immediately released Samantha from his grasp and headed over to where his eldest brother stood along with Raph.

"How's Mikey?" he asked Master Splinter.

"It is not looking very well for your brother," Master Splinter replied gravely. "We **have** to be careful!"

"Being careful won't be easy," Leo informed them. "That guy who looks like the Shredder...he just invented the Sword of Tengu!" Master Splinter's eyes went wide with shock before a more pensive expression crossed his face.

"This is not good," Master Splinter mumbled.

"And that's not the only thing," Leo continued. "After he invented the Sword of Tengu, he went with his ninjas and saw a _kanji_." Master Splinter stiffened at the sound of the word.

"Why would he go and see a sorcerer?" Don inquired curiously. Samantha quickly whipped around and slowly approached the ground, keeping her eyes away from Leo.

"Maybe he's superstitious," Raph suggested.

"I fear it is for a much darker purpose that the Shredder's ancestor seeks out a _kanji_," Master Splinter told them gravely. "He has seen the powers of the Amulet of Bushido and no doubt desires to have them for his own personal use."

"So...he's going to a sorcerer about this Amulet...why?" Samantha asked.

"I believe that the Shredder's ancestor will obtain an enchantment from the sorcerer to separate you from the _tengu_ and absorb its powers," Master Splinter replied. Samantha's eyes widened in shock and she was about to say something when she heard Mikey moan and saw him open his eyes.

"Master Splinter," he moaned. "Is it...time for breakfast?" Then, he was out like a light again. Samantha felt like bursting into tears and shaking him awake again, but at that moment, a scream was heard from nearby.

"You guys hear that?!" Don asked urgently.

"A fight in the forest," Master Splinter replied.

"Over the hill to the north," Leo added.

"Go investigate. I will stay here and look after Michelangelo," Master Splinter commanded. The four ninjas bowed and then hurried towards the part of the forest where the scream had come from. Peering through the bamboo, they could see that an elderly man, a small boy and a young woman who looked around their age were surrounded by Shredder's ancestor's ninjas. The young woman was dark-haired and held a _narigata_ clutched in her hands. The little boy clutched the legs of the old man. The young girl began defending her family against the Foot ninjas who were attacking them.

"Ya know, I'm really starting ta hate dese old-school Foot ninjas as much as I hate da modern-day versions!" Raph informed his brothers and the ninja princess as they watched the girl take out more of the Foot ninjas. Samantha had to admit that she was pretty good. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to be the only one who noticed. Don and Leo had the same looks on their faces that they used to have whenever she kicked butt. And it wasn't helping Sam's growing jealousy that the girl was also attractive.

"She's good. I like **her**," Don told his brothers, a tone of admiration in his voice. Samantha groaned and smacked a hand over her eyes before she took out her bamboo sword and smacked Don in the head with it.

"OW! Hey!" he snapped, rubbing his aching head. "What was **that** for?!"

"Boys!" she grumbled. "And **that** was for not keeping your eyes in your head, my turtle genius!"

"What do ya say we lend a hand?" Leo told them.

"As long as you guys don't hit on her afterwards," Samantha replied, smirking slightly at the scowls on their faces. "Hey! **Someone's **gotta watch out for your girlfriends back home!"

"Right," Raph mumbled before they began running towards the fight. Just then, Leo spread his arms and held them back as a rustling in the trees close by caused them to look up and see two men dressed in dark-blue clothing with blue bandanas around their faces and gold medallions around their necks leap out and begin attacking the Foot ninjas.

"All sorts of bozos are coming ta **dis** party!" Raph observed, scratching his head in confusion.

"A few too many! Look!" Leo shouted, pointing down the road to where more Foot ninjas were coming and attacked the men who'd helped the girl and her family.

"So what are we still standing around for?! C'mon!" Samantha yelled as she jumped into the fray with her bamboo sword.

"Ya took da words right outta my mouth, Princess!" Raph seconded as they leapt into the battle and within minutes, the Foot ninjas were fleeing back down the forest road.

"Turtles and Samantha The Ninja Princess kick serious butt even in ancient Japan!" Don crowed as they all smiled and high-fived.

"Stay away, evil goblins and witch!" the old man shouted. "Save us!" The two warriors looked at the Turtles and Samantha. "Save us! Goblins! Witch! _Kappa! Majyo!_ Please! Save us!" The two warriors began advancing on the four ninjas, their swords glinting in the moonlight.

"Somehow... I don't think we're gonna get the "thank you" we deserve," Leo observed seriously.

"Come! We go!" the elderly man said, placing the small boy on a cart and wheeling it away. The young woman locked eyes with Leo before bowing to him and hurrying away after her father. The two ninjas continued advancing on the four friends.

"Look! We were only trying to help!" Leo told them.

"We weren't about to just let them get hurt, so we jumped in to help!" Samantha added.

"We don't wanna fight you," Don seconded.

"Although I like fighting," Raph countered, smacking his fist into his other hand. "What I don't like is being trapped in this stupid Utrom videogame!" The two warriors immediately looked at each other in horror and backed away from the four ninjas.

"The Utrom?!" one of them repeated.

"How do these strange _kappa_ and the _majyo_ know of the Utrom?" the other inquired.

"Um, hello? We can still hear you," Samantha told them bluntly. They looked back at her with hard eyes and she stared right back until they looked away. Just then, a beam of moonlight hit the medallion around one of the ninjas' necks, reflecting off of it and hitting Samantha in the face. "And do you mind wearing a gold medallion that doesn't reflect the moonlight into other peoples' faces?!"

"Samantha, that's it! That's where I've seen that medallion before: on the Guardians!" Leo shouted. "Our friends here must be an early incarnation of the Guardians. You work for the Utrom, right? We're on the same side!"

"We need to talk to the Utrom," Don jumped in. "We're stuck here in this place just like them. And maybe they can help us. Can you take us to them?"

"Can you at least let them know we need to see them?" Leo pleaded. The two Guardians exchanged glances before looking back at the four ninjas.

"We will tell them," one of the Guardians answered, sheathing their swords and walking away.

"Wait!" Don yelled. "How will we find you?!"

"If our masters agree to an audience, **they** will find **you**!" the second Guardian answered before they walked down the path and disappeared.

"Let's just hope they agree," Samantha mumbled under her breath, the Amulet clasped tightly in her hands. With the Shredder's ancestor now using magic to steal the Amulet's powers, the Utroms were their only hope of not only getting out of this virtual reality, but also from keeping this madman from destroying the world.

**Me: What's up guys?! Your favorite author is in the HOUSE! *throws up gangster signs with mchap1154 behind me***

**Mchap1154: I _honestly_ don't know her!**

**Mikey: Neither do we, dudette! I'm Mikey!**

**Mchap1154: OMG! MIKEY! *fangirl screams and tackles Mikey with a hug***

**Don: A Mikey fan has come to visit, I suppose.**

**Leo: Judging by the way she just jumped on him, I suppose so.**

**Raph: In _dat_ case, be right back. *exits and then returns in full body armor***

**Me: Ummm...did I miss the memo about Hallowe'en or something?**

**Raph: No! It's so _yer_ visiting fans don't prank me like they did da last time!**

**Mikey: Uh...thanks for the love, dudette. **

**Mchap1154: No problem! I mean, you're so adorable! And funny! And sweet! And kind! And you rule at videogames! You're the king of comic books! You have a superhero alterego! And you can make friends with everyone in a room in less time than Usian Bolt can run!**

**Mikey: Really?!**

**Mchap1154: Really.**

**Mikey: Yay! Someone who appreciates me! *does backflips and cheers***

**Leo: So...what do you wanna do you guys?**

**Don: Let's go skateboarding!**

**Mikey: Awesomely radical idea, Donny! Do you wanna come, mchap1154?!**

**Mchap1154: Shell yeah! Let's go!**

**Mikey: *hands mchap1154 a skateboard and helmet* Do you know how ta board, dudette?**

**Mchap1154: Yeah. Sort of.**

**Leo: Well then. Let's see what you've got!**

**Mchap1154: Alright. *gets on the skateboard and does a 360 flip and lands on the board before doing a front olie* Was that alright?**

**Mikey: ALRIGHT?! DUDETTE, THAT WAS AWESOME! You can almost shred as good as me!**

**Mchap1154: Really?**

**Mikey: Yeah! C'mon! Let's go shredding! *Leo, Me, Mchap1154, Raph, Mikey and Don all get on our skateboards and board through the sewers doing flips and olies and kickups***

**Mchap1154: Wow! That was awesome!**

**Mikey: Yeah! And wasn't it funny when Raph's armor got stuck to that huge magnet we boarded under?!**

**Raph: I only got stuck to it 'cause _someone_ turned on da magnet!**

**Mikey: And then when the bucket of paint fell on him!**

**Mchap1154: Priceless!**

**Raph: That's only 'cause fangirl here knocked over the ladder when she was doing her fancy tricks!**

**Don: Or maybe you shouldn't board under ladders.**

**Mchap1154: Well...it's been fun guys, but I have to get going. Thanks for inviting me Livangel16.**

**Me: No problem. Come back anytime.**

**Mikey: I second that motion, Livangel16! This dudette's the coolest!**

**Me: She's even cooler than me, Mikey?**

**Leo: Nobody's cooler than you, Livangel16.**

**Don: God Leo! Could you be anymore of a kiss-up?!**

**Raph: I second** **_dat _motion!**

**Mchap1154: Ummm...I think that's my cue to go. See ya later guys! *escapes quickly before the fight breaks out***

**Me: *watches Leo, Don and Raph fighting with Mikey* Are you sure you're related to these guys Mikey?**

**Mikey: Of course I am, Livangel16. Otherwise, I wouldn't do this. Pile-on! *jumps into the fray with the other three***

**Me: Oh boy! Well...ask a stupid question, get a stupider answer. Especially when Mikey's the one answering! **

**So, the next chapter with the special surprise is coming up next! I think you'll all be shocked by what it is! So, review this chapter and tell me what you thought of it! Happy reading!  
**

**-Livangel16  
**


	47. Chapter 47

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Hello again! Thanks to all my lovely reviewers: grapejuice101, pokemonjkl, Aster Sapphire, IceColdFever, ****flamedragon242, Kimmie98, ninja-warrior101, mchap1154, Josh Haner, RAHELA, Pink Lightspeed Ranger, I Love Kittens Too, snow299, missymousemonster, bell-13-tmnt-lover, honkytonk-babe3 and WolfAssassin369! You know you guys are awesome! Keep the reviews coming! So...the chapter with the surprise is finally here! What is it? You're gonna have to read on to find out!**

****Warning: This chapter is M rated! If you are not comfortable with sex scenes, skip the last portion of this chapter for it will contain mature adult themes, including SEX! But that's all I'm saying! For those of you who don't mind, you're gonna have to read it to find out who it's between because you might be surprised at who it is! Enjoy! ;)****

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

****Warning: M Rating****

Chapter Forty-Seven

Hurrying back through the forest, Samantha's mind was centered only around the Shredder's ancestor and the Amulet. She couldn't imagine the horror and devastation that monster would inflict upon mankind if he got his hands on the evil power that rested within the relic she wore around her neck. Finally, they reached the clearing and were amazed to find Mikey and Master Splinter sitting in front of a blanket that was covered in a variety of sushi rolls.

"Welcome back, guys!" Mikey greeted cheerfully, his mouth full of sushi. "Anyone for sushi?!"

"Mikey!" Samantha screamed happily, throwing herself onto the goofball turtle and hugging him tightly. "You're OK!"

"OK! OK! Take it easy, Sammy!" Mikey chuckled as he hugged her back. "I missed you too!"

"Ah, Mikey! You bum!" Raph chuckled, giving his youngest brother a light noogie. "I'm glad yer OK!"

"So am I," Leo seconded, smiling at Mikey.

"So are we all," Samantha added, giving Mikey a kiss on the cheek. He blushed and grinned widely.

"Maybe I should get injured more often," he chuckled.

"Yeah. But next time, the kiss is coming from **your** girlfriend. **Not** **mine**," Don told him playfully, tossing a piece of sushi at him, which Mikey caught in his mouth, chewed and then swallowed. Everyone burst out laughing, and Samantha felt somewhat at ease now that Mikey was OK.

"Umm...Mikey? You know not a molecule of that food is real. It's all part of this illusion," Don reminded him.

"Yeah, I know," Mikey answered, shoveling down more sushi. "But right now, it's real enough for me!"

"Only Mikey would be experiencing an illusion **within** an illusion," Samantha giggled.

"That is it!" Master Splinter exclaimed, causing all eyes to fixate on the elderly rat. "The answer! It is...!" Just then, a rustling noise in the trees nearby caught everyone's attention. The two Guardians leapt down from the trees in front of them. Everyone stood as a figure emerged from the bamboo wearing a scarlet kimono and a straw hat. In the darkness, Samantha couldn't see the face, but as the figure drew nearer, the young woman saw the familiar robotic body of the exosuit. The kimono was opened and revealed a pink Utrom sitting in the stomach.

"Greetings. I am Mortu," Mortu introduced. Master Splinter, Samantha and the four Turtles all bowed respectfully to Mr. Mortu.

"Mr. Mortu," Leo told him. "You're just the..._man_ we need to see." The Utrom's face got a strange look on it, almost angry in its appearance.

"Nice wording job, Leo!" Sam hissed. "He's not a man, FYI!"

"Thanks, Samantha!" Leo shot back sarcastically. "I didn't notice!"

"Enough! Let us discuss our..._situation_ with Mr. Mortu in peace," Master Splinter ruled, glaring at the two ninjas. They both nodded and everyone sat down and allowed Leo to explain the entire story.

"So you see, Mr. Mortu, we're trapped in this virtual reality and we can't get out," Leo finished.

"I **do** see," Mr. Mortu replied. "It is an interesting phenomenon. You have much knowledge of our ways, but your knowledge of the Shredder is incomplete. You should know...the Shredder is one of...!" Just then, there was a rumbling sound and an evil chuckle echoed all around them. Everyone leapt to their feet and watched as the Shredder and his Foot ninjas appeared. Samantha gasped when she saw the Shredder holding the Sword of Tengu in his right hand and a scroll in his left.

"How fortuitous that I should find **you** here, Mortu!" the Shredder growled. "Now I can display the full powers of the Sword of Tengu for your amusement! **And** your demise!" Storing the scroll in a pouch on his armor, the Shredder grasped the sword in both hands and then the sword powered up and hit the ground, travelling straight towards Mortu. It struck the exosuit which Mortu was wearing and caused it to violently short-circuit.

"Fire in the hold!" Samantha yelled, causing everyone to scatter as the exosuit exploded, sending smoke and metal fragments flying everywhere. Samantha gazed through the smoke and saw Mortu, safe and out of the exosuit, flanked by the two Guardians. The Shredder laughed evilly before sending another shockwave from the Sword of Tengu that sent the two Guardians at Mortu's side into the branches of two, nearby trees.

"You just made a big mistake, you creep!" Samantha growled before launching herself into the air for an attack, but instead of blasting her, the Shredder simply kicked her into the waiting hands of two of his ninjas. Samantha managed to flip them over, but was promptly hit with a blast from the Sword of Tengu which sent her flying headfirst into a large rock nearby. She was semi-conscious when the Shredder grabbed her arm and dangled her in the air. She struggled weakly, but the blow from the sword had taken a lot out of her.

"Sam!" Don shouted as he, Leo and Master Splinter ran forward to help the ninja princess. The Shredder pointed the sword at them, sending them flying backwards. Another blast sent Master Splinter flying into a rock. Two more blasts took down Raph and Leo temporarily. Everyone dodged another attack as the Shredder advanced on Mortu, the sword in his hand and a struggling Samantha in his other.

"Before I destroy you, Mortu, I wish to have unstoppable powers that will cause the entire universe to tremble at my feet!" the Shredder declared, holding up Samantha. He pulled out the scroll and let it unravel. "And the creature within this girl's Amulet will ensure that! Let the separation ritual begin! Spirits of the underworld, heed my call! Send forth your dark powers to divide one into two!"

"Samantha!"Don shouted. "If he gets the _tengu's_ powers, he'll be unstoppable!"

"But what do we do?" Mikey asked in panic. Just then, a moan came from Master Splinter and Leo quickly hurried over to him.

"Master Splinter! Are you alright?!" Leo asked worriedly as the elderly groaned and turned to face him.

"Leonardo. Listen. There is little time," Master Splinter instructed. "This virtual reality is an illusion **within** an illusion; an illusion of the mind. Control your mind and you will control the illusion."

"I will try, Sensei," Leo replied, gazing as the Shredder continued the incantation. Samantha gave a scream as the Amulet began to glow brighter and brighter. Leo closed his eyes and focused on the scroll in his hands. Just then, the scroll disappeared from the Shredder's hands and reappeared in Leonardo's.

"Where is the scroll?!" Shredder demanded as the scroll materialized in the hands of the blue bandana turtle.

"**I've** got it!" Leonardo shouted, clutching the scroll tightly. The Shredder's red eyes narrowed and then, he tossed Sam to the ground roughly.

"Fine! Then I shall deal with this Utrom first before I destroy **you**!"the Shredder growled before he took the Sword of Tengu in his hands once more. The blue glow of the sword surrounded its blade and Leo closed his eyes once again and focused. Just then, the sword vanished.

"What?!" the Shredder shouted angrily. "Where is the Sword of Tengu?!" Just then, the sword reappeared in Leo's hands.

"It's right here!" Leo declared boldly, tapping the sword against his other hand.

"Whoa!" Mikey breathed in amazement. "How'd Leo do **that?!"**

"You want them back?!" Leo challenged. He then threw the scroll into the air and blasted it to scraps with the Sword of Tengu. The Shredder roared in fury.

"You fools have sealed your doom! I **will** possess the powers of the creature within the girl's Amulet!" the Shredder growled. "Even if I must slay the girl to make it happen!"He began walking towards Samantha, who was weakly stirring.

"I don't think so!" Leo shouted before he slammed the sword into the ground and sent a shockwave that blasted Shredder back and away from the ninja princess. Rolling forward, Leo struck another hard blow that sent the Shredder flying even further back. Samantha looked up in time to see Leo somersault forward, the Sword of Tengu somehow in his hands.

"This one's for Samantha!" Leo growled before delivering a final blow that sent the Shredder flying backwards through the bamboo forest and straight off the edge of a cliff with a shout of dismay. Turning with the glowing sword in his hands, Leo growled and faced the Foot ninjas, who all scattered and ran away in panic. Closing his eyes once more, the glowing sword vanished in a blinding flash of light. Samantha staggered to her feet and was caught by one of the Guardians, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders and supported her as the other one held Mortu in his arms and approached the Turtles.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Neo! I mean, Leo!" Don exclaimed.

"Way ta go, bro!" Mikey crowed happily as Don and Mikey slapped Leo on both his shoulders.

"Princess! Ya OK?!" Raph questioned worriedly, seeing her bruised face. The Guardian quickly transferred her to the outstretched arms of Donatello, who allowed his girlfriend to rest her head on his shoulder.

"I am now," she replied, smiling at the Fearless leader of the group. "Thanks to Leo." He smiled back.

"Your actions demonstrate the veracity of what you say," Mortu told them. "Take this. It should help you return safely to where you belong." One of the Guardians held a small, black cube in his hands. Leo took it from him and studied it.

"But...if we're stuck in a videogame, how can ya give us something that can affect the _real_ world?" Mikey questioned. "I...! We...! You...!" He clutched his head and moaned. "My brain hurts!"

"If this world is a virtual projection created from our technology, then we Utroms have created an internal fail-safe that can be activated by the virtual reset device you now possess."

"Alright. Here we go! I hope," Leo told everyone as he prepared to push the reset device.

"Goodbye. And thank you," Master Splinter told Mortu gratefully.

"Yes. Thank you for everything, Mortu-san," Samantha said, bowing. "We are in your debt."

"See ya in a few hundred years!" Raph added, waving goodbye. Leo pressed the cube and a blinding, golden light appeared and a large, humming noise filled the air.

"Wait! What was it you were trying to tell us about the Shredder before?!" Leo yelled to Mortu.

"The Shredder is an...!" Mortu begun to yell, but there was a blinding flash of light and the next thing Samantha knew, she was back in the pods in the TCRI building. The cuffs and the mind device released themselves and Samantha walked out of the pod with the others, slightly dizzy from the wild ride they'd been on. On the outskirts near the control panel, she saw an amazed Mortu and a stunned Professor Honeycutt standing there gazing at them.

"They've done it!" Mortu shouted jubilantly. "They activated the internal fail-safe! But how?!"

"It worked? It worked! Guys, it worked!" Samantha cried, jumping up and down with unbridled happiness. She ran into Don's arms and he caught her and spun her around, laughing and hugging her tightly as their family gathered around them.

"Well, **you** helped us, Mr. Mortu," Leo told the astounded Utrom. "Not **you** you, but another you. It's... kind of a long story."

"Well, I don't care **how** you got out!" Professor Honeycutt declared, clearly sounding relieved. "What matters is that you're safe and sound."

"I second that notion, Professor Honeycutt," Samantha agreed, hugging Don a little tighter.

"Still. I...I can't understand how the oracle pods malfunctioned," Mortu replied, tapping a tentacle against his face.

"Oh. But **I **do!" growled a familiar voice that Samantha had hoped she'd never hear again. Whipping around to the entrance of the oracle pod chamber, Sam saw the Elite Guard, two Foot Tech ninjas and Hun standing behind an all-too-familiar figure, its claw glinting in the faint light of the chamber. Everyone gasped.

"The Shredder?!" Samantha shouted in disbelief. "Still alive?!"

"No! It...it **can't** be!" Leo gasped. "I finished you off myself! You...**can't** be alive!" The Shredder chuckled evilly.

"You merely separated my head from my body," he explained. "A courtesy I will gladly extend to you all! For **none** of you are leaving here alive!" He laughed evilly as his soldiers advanced on the small group.

"The only one who won't be leaving here alive is **you**, Shredder!" Samantha growled, drawing out her wakizashi. "You're going down for good this time! I'll see to that! **Personally!**"

"Attack! Destroy the freaks! Bring the girl to me! I will get what I need from her and then destroy her myself!" Shredder commanded. Beside him, Stockman, in the form of a robotic spider, laughed evilly.

"Oh dear! And I thought **I **was stuck with an unpleasant robot body!" Professor Honeycutt gasped as he took in Stockman. The scientist laughed before blasting Professor Honeycutt with red lasers, sending him hurtling backwards hard into the pods.

"You'll pay for that, you ugly, little insect!" Samantha snarled fiercely at Stockman. With a war cry, she threw herself into the midst of the advancing soldiers.

"Well?! We gonna let da Princess have all da fun?!" Raph demanded, drawing his sais.

"My sons! Attack!" Master Splinter commanded as the five of them leapt to join their ninja princess friend in battle. Samantha sliced through Foot Ninjas left and right before locking blades with a member of the Elite. The others rushed at Mortu, but the Guardians quickly leapt to his defense. Not that Mortu couldn't kick some ass on his own as he took out some Foot ninjas before facing off with the Shredder.

"Mortu! I have anticipated this moment for nearly ten centuries!" Shredder snarled at the Utrom.

"I'm surprised that with your genius, it took you a thousand years to find us!" Mortu threw back before the two enemies leapt into the air and Mortu aptly dodged the Shredder's attacks before countering with some of his own.

"Ten _centuries_?!" Samantha shouted aloud as she battled a Foot Ninja.

"If those guys have been enemies for that long, then that means...!" Leo began before slicing away at another ninja.

"This is the same Shredder from a thousand years ago!" Master Splinter finished. Mortu was fighting the Shredder when Hun snuck up behind him and grabbed him, pinning his arms to his sides.

"Mortu!" Samantha shouted, kicking away the Elite ninja she was battling. Several Utroms came to the rescue, but were kicked away by the Shredder. Leo managed to save one of them from getting sliced by the Elite ninja with double-headed axe and barely kept the little guy alive when the elite with the spear came and tried to shiskabob him. Tossing the Utrom to Don, Samantha quickly leapt in with a kick that sent the ninja flying. She turned and saw Raph and Mikey cornered by Stockman and hurried over to help.

"At last I'll get to have my revenge on your annoying mutations!" Stockman declared.

"Stockman?! I almost didn't recognize ya!" Raph chuckled as he and Mikey sheathed their weapons. "New haircut?" The two turtles were blasted by the same red lasers as Professor Honeycutt before came and kicked Stockman aside.

"**That's** for Professor Honeycutt and my friends you just blasted, you little cockroach!" she snapped at Stockman as he went flying through the air and crashed to the floor before getting back up and blasting his lasers at Samantha, which she dodged.

"Stockman! Hold!" the Shredder commanded. "You have more important business!"

"Never! My revenge comes first!" Stockman growled, powering up his lasers and firing at Raph, Mikey and Sam, who dodged them speedily.

"I said, "Hold!"" the Shredder snarled, his eyes turning a deeper red as he glared at Stockman. Just then, a red laser seemed to shock the scientist violently before it subsided.

"Implement Phase 3! NOW!" Shredder ordered.

"Yes. Master," Stockman answered, sounding a little stiff, but he still crawled away to do the Shredder's bidding. "The device will soon be under your control."

"The device!" Mortu gasped as Don placed him back in his exosuit body. He leapt up from the floor, a Guardian nearby. "The transmat! We must stop that cyborg before...!" Just then, Hun and the Elite ninjas leapt in front of the doorway that Stockman had just exited through.

"Aw shell!" Samantha snapped as the evil laugh of the Shredder rung in her ears.

"You will go **nowhere!**" the Shredder cackled, advancing on them. Just then Leo came flying through the air and kicked the Shredder into some sort of brown pod on the wall nearby. It looked to be sticky as the Shredder was stuck in it tight. Mortu hurriedly ran towards a nearby console and powered it up. The brown substance sealed itself around the Shredder, trapping inside a pod-like prison. Hun and two of the Elite hurried to free their master while the others battled with the Turtles, Sam and Master Splinter.

"Mortu! The way is clear!" Samantha shouted to the Utrom as she kicked away a Foot ninja. "Take your men and Professor Honeycutt and stop Stockman! We'll hold off Clawface and his goons in here!"

"Alright! We will return to assist you as soon as the Transmat is secured!" Mortu shouted as he, Professor Honeycutt, the Guardians and a squadron of Utroms hurried off to the Transmat room. Samantha whipped around and saw the Shredder burst from the brown pod.

"After the Utrom!" Shredder commanded. "NOW!" The Shredder and his men were hurrying towards the doors when Samantha, the Turtles and Master Splinter leapt down and blocked his way.

"**You're** not going **anywhere**, Shredder!" Samantha growled.

"Yeah! And if ya wanna get to da Utroms, yer gonna have ta go through **us** first!" Raph seconded, his sais out and ready to be used.

"**You're** not worth wasting my time!" the Shredder growled before pressing some buttons on a nearby console. Just then, the door was sealed with some sort of brown shield and the walls began to pour some sort of white, water-like fluid that sent Samantha and her friends cascading away. Samantha surfaced just in time to see a tunnel open and the Shredder and his goons scurry through it before it disappeared into the wall again. Standing to her feet, she began banging on the wall with the handle of her blade. She saw the others doing the same thing, but it was of no use. The walls were too durable and thick.

"It's no good! I can't work these controls!" Don shouted to the others from the console that the Shredder had tampered with to seal them in here.

"I keep slicing at the wall, but it just heals itself!" Leo yelled as his sword slice through the wall seemed to just close up again. "It's like the room's...alive!"

"Of course! That's the answer!" Samantha declared.

"Huh?" Mikey inquired.

"This is a techno-organic chamber!" Don explained to them. "We need to think a little less _techno_ and a little more _organic_!" He stuck out at the wall, hitting it with his bo staff, which seemed to hum and vibrate in response to the hit.

"See?! The walls have techno-organic nerve endings! Follow my rhythm! If we can agitate the nerve endings just enough...!" Don said, continuing to pound in the exact same rhythm. Sam and the others followed Don's lead and soon, Samantha could see bubbles beginning to surface as the walls almost groaned in protest.

"She's gonna blow!" Samantha shouted as the water shot the six of them up like a geyser and they tore right through the ceiling of the chamber and landed on the ground.

"Well. That was nasty," Mikey commented.

"Great! My hair's completely ruined!" Samantha snapped, inspecting her wet locks and sniffing them. They smelled like some sort of alien liquid that she didn't like. Her head snapped back in disgust and her eyes darkened. "Shredder's gonna **seriously** get his sorry ass kicked for **this**!"

"Then let's get to the Transmat room and finish this!" Leo declared. Following behind him, everyone rushed to the transmat room. Sam saw Mortu, Professor Honeycutt and several of the Utroms and the Guardians on the actual transmat device with the Shredder and his cronies nearby.

"I will use this device to conquer the Utrom home world. And I will destroy every last one of your kind!" the Shredder snarled.

"Not if **we** got anything ta say about it!" Raph shouted, twirling his sais as they stood under the glare of the Shredder. "Remember us?"

"I grow tired of you creatures, this Bushido brat and your constant interference!" the Shredder growled fiercely.

"Didn't your mama ever teach you **not** to mess with a girl's hair, Tin-Can?!" Samantha snapped, drawing out her sword, shaking her wet locks back from her shoulders. "I guess she didn't, so I'm gonna have to teach you that lesson! With a good heap of ninja butt-whooping!"

"Elite ninja! Attack!" Shredder commanded. "But bring me the girl! I **will** possess the powers of the creature within the girl's Amulet! Even if I must slay the girl to make it happen!" Samantha's mouth dropped open as she remembered where she'd heard those same words before. But there was no time to alert the guys to that fact as she found herself battling the Elite ninja with the pitchfork-like spear.

"Stockman! Power up the Transmat! Finish Mortu and his friends!" Shredder ordered.

"Yes Master," Stockman answered almost in a robotic-like tone as he crawled towards the Transmat console.

"We have to stop Stockman!" Leo grunted as he battled the Elite ninja with the _narigata._

"And here I am fresh outta bug spray!" Mikey joked, dodging an attack.

"Why don't we just get Shredder ta ask him ta stop?!" Raph suggested. "Stockman seems ta listen to 'im!"

"That's it! Raph! You're a genius!" Samantha exclaimed happily as she backflipped away from an attack.

"What? What'd I say?" he asked as he kicked away the Elite ninja with the double-headed axe.

"Stockman's control chip must be voice activated!" Don explained as he battled another of the Elite ninjas. Leaping over the ninja's head, Don managed to get close to the Transmat. "Psst! Professor Honeycutt!" he whispered. The robot turned and looked down at the genius turtle. "Can your audio processor replicate **any** sound?

"Of course," Professor Honeycutt replied confidently.

"Then we need your best impression of the Shredder! Now!" Don told him urgently. A few seconds later, Professor Honeycutt was doing an imitation of the Shredder that sounded exactly like the _real_ Shredder. After a brief back-and-forth between the real Shredder and the Professor, Stockman overrode all voice activated controls and shook his small head.

"I...I'm **free**! I obey no one!" Stockman crowed in evil delight. With that, Stockman leapt onto the Shredder and a burst of red sparks flew from the Shredder's armor. It was almost as though he was short-circuiting. Finally, after scattering tanks and vials, the Shredder collapsed onto the floor and Stockman crawled away, cheering about his new freedom. Hun picked up the Shredder and held him up in his arms.

"Do you think the Shredder is...?" Leo begun to ask, but Samantha shook her head. Nothing that evil died so easily. This was only a temporary down for the Shredder. He'd be back.

"We'll be back..._freaks_!" Hun growled as a device dropped from the Shredder's hand and fell onto the floor as they exited. It dug into the ground and suddenly, red lines began flowing out from the device and spread throughout the entire room. Don, Mikey and Samantha went closer to investigate. But just as Don was about to touch it, Mortu came forward.

"No! Do not touch it!" Mortu shouted, waving his robotic arms. "It's an Utrom implosion device! The techno-organic virus it contains would destroy you!" Samantha stepped back and away from the device along with the others.

"Already it has thoroughly infected the system," Mortu continued, rushing over to the computer. "The entire building will implode! In less than ten minutes!"

"Can't you stop it?!" Don asked, sounding panicked.

"No," Mortu replied gravely. "Unfortunately, the virus was comprehensive. It spread too quickly."

"So Shredder finally found a way ta stick it to us," Raph observed drily. "Even in defeat!"

"Well **I** for one certainly come all this way just to let Clawface win because of one, little bomb!" Samantha snapped angrily. "There's **got** to be a way to beat this thing!" Just then, the screen in front of the console came alive and three men were before them.

"The human troops," the first one with barely any hair reported.

"Are making their way," the one in the middle continued.

"Deeper into the building," the one on the left finished.

"Man! These guys sound just like...the Navigators!" Samantha breathed in realization.

"We have to get them out of there before the place implodes!" Leo shouted.

"The lower floors are completely sealed off!" Mortu told them. "There's no way to contact them!"

"There must be someone on the outside we can contact!" Leo protested. It was then that Sam, Mikey and Raph all looked at one another.

"Leo! Call April and Casey! They can reach the guy in charge and tell him to get his troops outta here!" Samantha told him.

"Nice thinking, Sam!" Leo said, smiling at her as he took out his Shell-cell and dialed up April. "April. Casey. It's me. Leo."

"Hello? Leo?! I can't believe I'm hearing your voice!" April cried with relief.

"Me neither," Casey added. "When'd ya get three-way calling?!"

"Hello?! **Alive**?!" April reminded him.

"Oh right! Woohoo!" Casey cheered.

"How are the girls?" Leo asked.

"He means how's Makayla!" Samantha shouted into the microphone of the Shell-cell, snickering. Leo blushed and gave Samantha a flirty shove.

"Makayla and the girls are safe and in the Battle Shell," April replied, giggling slightly at Sam's antics. "Although they're worried sick about you guys."

"We'll deal with that later! Right now, you have to get a message out to evacuate the building! It's gonna self-destruction in about...**six minutes**!"

"Mr. Mortu! The Transmat is powered up!" one of the Utroms reported as the Guardians and a whole squad of Utroms evacuated the building.

"Primary team! Assemble on the platform! You're going home," Mortu instructed as the first batch of Utroms got onto the transmat device with one of the Guardians. There was the same, blue light that'd surrounded Samantha and the Turtles when they'd been beamed into outer space, and then the Utroms and the Guardian dematerialized and were beamed to the Utrom home world. Just then, three purple chairs came hovering into the room, the three Navigators seated at them.

"Mortu! We are the last! The others have been evacuated!" one of the three Navigators informed him.

"Secondary team will accompany the Counsel!" Mortu commanded. There was a soft hissing sound as the front portions of the seats rolled down and the three Navigators, each encased in a small globe filled with liquid floated out and were caught by a Guardian. They were soon on the transmat and looked almost excited in a plain way.

"It is good," the first one said.

"To be going..." the second one continued.

"Home," the third one finished.

"Professor Honeycutt, would you care to join us?" Mortu asked the robot. "We would gladly offer you asylum on our home world."

"Really? Me? To live among an advanced and peaceful civilization where I can use my knowledge and skills for good?" the Professor asked, sounding shocked and pleased. "It's a dream come true!" Then, the robot turned back to the Turtles and Samantha and he looked almost...sad. "But my friends...I will miss you."

"We'll miss you too, Professor," Samantha replied, smiling slightly.

"I...I can't thank you enough," Professor Honeycutt continued.

"Take care of yourself Professor," Don told him as the robot hurried onto the Transmat device.

"Mr. Mortu. Thank you. For everything," Leo told the Utrom captain gratefully.

"Man! I hate long goodbyes!" Mikey sobbed, crying on Raph's shoulder while Raph just stared at his brother, looking both disgusted and freaked out.

"It has been an honor to know you and your race, Mortu-san," Master Splinter said, bowing to the Utrom.

"It is **we** who are honored, Master Splinter," Mortu replied, bowing to the elderly rat. "Before we leave, a small token of appreciation both for you and young Samantha." Holding out his robot hand, a small, glass sphere appeared in Mortu's hand. It had a golden piece at the bottom. "Your Master Yoshi was the most honored Guardian to serve the Utrom. He gave his life to protect us, but his spirit lives in our collective history." Master Splinter gazed at the sphere and Samantha saw tears forming in his eyes and spilling down his cheeks. She hugged the elderly rat, who smiled and patted her arm in a fatherly way of thanks.

"Samantha," Mortu called, and the young woman stepped forward. Mortu's hand was held out once again, and a colorful folding fan appeared. The sticks were black and the picture on the fabric showed a red dragon flying across the eastern skies of a forest with a lake as the Sun rose over a nearby mountain. Black calligraphy was scrawled across the skies twice.

"A folding fan?" Samantha inquired as she took the fan from Mortu's robotic hand. Mortu smiled.

"Look at the calligraphy, Samantha," Mortu chuckled. She studied it again and gasped when she saw the word.

"Akiye," she breathed, causing Mortu's smile to widen.

"Huh? What the heck's an "Akiye"?" Mikey questioned, looking confused.

"It means "autumn painting" in Japanese," Samantha replied, tears spilling down her cheeks. "It was my mother's name. You knew my mother, Mortu?"

"Yes," the Utrom answered. "Your family was as loyal as Master Splinter's Master Yoshi to our race. Bushido was also a Guardian and your mother was a caregiver to our sick and injured. She was a bright light to us as your father was a pillar of strength for us. You should be proud to have had such wonderful parents, Samantha. You look so much like Akiye. But your eyes are the eyes of Bushido." More tears cascaded down her cheeks as she gazed at the folding fan in her hands. Don wrapped an arm around her waist and smiled down into her tear-stained face.

"And now my friends, you must leave this building while you still can," Mortu told them urgently, climbing out of his exosuit. "Donatello. If you would do me the honor of powering up the Transmat?"

"Sweet! I'm all over it!" Don crowed in excitement as he hurried over to the Transmat device. Mortu crawled onto the transmat and Don was about to power it up when three shurikens hit the console, causing it to spark and sent a beam of energy into each exosuit, shocking them. Samantha whipped around and saw the Shredder standing with Hun and the Elite Guard at the doors of the Transmat room.

"As long as I live, you will **not** leave this place alive!" Shredder declared, laughing evilly.

"Then let's finish you off for good!" Samantha growled, whipping out her wakizashi and storing her mother's folding fan in her scabbard. Leaping into the air, the Shredder took down Leonardo, Raph and Master Splinter before taking out Don and Mikey. Samantha struck hard and fast, but a kick from the Shredder sent her flying into the bottom half of the Transmat.

"Our thousand year struggle ends here!" Shredder growled as he approached the Utroms on the transmat. The Guardians took out their glowing swords and were prepared to defend their masters to the death if need be.

"Get away from our friends, you Tin-Can freak!" Samantha yelled before flying in with a hard phoenix kick. Leo and the others followed suit with lightning fast attacks with Master Splinter delivering the final kick that sent the Shredder flying into the ground. The Guardians were prepared to leap into the fight, but Samantha held them back.

"No!" she told them firmly. "Leave **him** to **us**!"

"She's right!" Don seconded. "Protect your masters! **We'll** handle the Shredder!"

"Master. Let **me** finish the Turtles and that annoying girl!" Hun growled.

"No!" the Shredder snarled. "They are **mine**! You and the others track down Stockman! He is still of some use to me!" Hun and the Elite ninjas hurried off to find Stockman while the Shredder whipped around and saw Don fixing the Transmat device. "No!" Just then, Don pressed a few buttons and the Transmat device powered up again.

"We **shall** meet again!" the Guardian they'd met that night said gravely as the blue light surrounded them.

"After ten centuries, I will **not** be denied my revenge!" Shredder growled as he advanced towards the transmat. But the Utroms, the Guardians and Professor Honeycutt dematerialized and vanished. The Shredder's red eyes narrowed as he glared at the six friends.

"You have been little more than thorns in my side! But now, you have robbed me of my triumph and for that, you shall pay with **your lives**!" the Shredder snarled viciously, bringing his claw down only for it to be blocked by Master Splinter's walking stick.

"Shredder! There is no time!" Master Splinter grunted as he continued to block the claw's movement. "The building is about to implode! Even **you** could not survive!" Just then, the Shredder's claw came down harder and snapped the walking stick right in half.

"Then we shall all perish **together!**" the Shredder declared.

"No way!" Samantha snapped angrily, launching herself at the Shredder, trying to land sword strokes left and right, but he blocked every one of them. "There's no way under heaven that I'm going to miss my dinner date next Friday night because of **you**!" Just then, she felt a hard blow crash into her jaw and she flew backwards and hit the floor close to the bomb. Donatello's staff snapped clean in two, and he was kicked away by the Shredder. Samantha groaned and looked at the timer as it ticked down to a minute and twenty seconds.

"Guys! We've got less than 90 seconds to get the shell outta here!" Samantha yelled to the others, who were busy engaging the Shredder. After hitting the ground a couple of times, Raph finally managed to penetrate the Shredder's armor, causing sparks to fly from it as he groaned.

"Guys! Use your weapons to penetrate his armor!" Don shouted from close to the Transmat console. "I think we can stop him for good!" Leo nodded and tossed a katana blade to Master Splinter, who caught it in a parallel position and leapt into the air, stabbing the armor. Leo and Raph came next with their weapons followed by Mikey.

"You...pathetic...creatures...cannot...hurt **me**!" the Shredder growled as he tried to remain standing.

"Wanna bet?!" Don challenged. Then, he looked at his girlfriend. "Sam! Go for it!"

"**This** is for my father, you son of a bitch!" she snarled before flying through the air with both hands on the handle of her sword and then stabbing the sword directly into the Shredder's chest where his heart would've been. She kicked off the staggering figure and backflipped in the air, landing in a fighting stance at Master Splinter's side.

"Lights out, Shredder!" Don shouted before connecting two sparking wires. A huge jolt of electricity surged from the two wires and bounced twice before hitting the Shredder full power. He gave a loud yell and then collapsed onto the ground. Master Splinter and the others gathered around their fallen enemy and were shocked to see the chest compartment of the Shredder's armor begin to open. But for Samantha, it only confirmed what she already knew.

"The Shredder's...an _Utrom_?!" Don gasped in shock as the red, prisoner Utrom from the oracle pod chronicles crawled out of the armor.

"I knew it!" Samantha shouted as she backed away from the savage-looking Utrom.

"Ahh!" Mikey screamed. "It's the prisoner dude! He's the one who...who...who...!"

"Who escaped after causing Mortu's ship to crash on Earth a millennium ago?!" the Utrom finished.

"He ain't so tough **now**!" Raph growled. "Let's just squish him!" But before Raph could do anything else, the Utrom turned on him and leapt onto his head, covering his face as he tried to yell for help.

"What did you say?!" the Utrom cackled evilly. "I can't seem to hear you!"

"Guys! We've got eighteen seconds to blow this joint!" Samantha shouted as she glanced at the timer on the bomb.

"Get 'im off!" Mikey screamed in panic as Leo seized one of the Utrom prisoner's tentacles and tried to pull him off of Raph's head. "Or there's gonna be a little Utrom Shredder busting outta Raph's chest!"

"You **seriously** need to stop watching so many sci-fi horror movies, Mikey!" Samantha grunted as she ran in and seized another tentacle. The Utrom Shredder turned and tried to bite both Leo and Sam, who immediately backed off. Master Splinter came in with a piece of his walking stick and pried the Utrom off of Raph's head and flung it away into a wall near some canisters. Samantha glanced again at the red numbers on the timer of the bomb.

"Ten seconds!" Samantha yelled.

"Guys! Quick! I've got the Transmat recalibrated!" Don shouted. Samantha, Master Splinter and the others hurried over to the Transmat device.

"Let's hope that where we're going is a lot better than the last place we went!" Leo commented as they scrambled onto the Transmat. There was a flash of blue light and then, the TCRI building disappeared not a moment too soon. The world was dark for only a brief moment before Samantha felt herself falling and falling until she hit the hard metal of the roof of the Battle Shell with the others.

"Well...I got us out," Don informed everyone. "But apparently, I neglected to get us _down_."

"Shh! Hold on a second!" Samantha whispered, crawling forward towards the open back doors of the Battle Shell. Popping her head in stealthily, she peered in and saw the girls sitting or leaning against the seats, all of them looking worried.

"It can't be true!" Samantha heard Olivia say in disbelief.

"I saw it with my own eyes! Or at least...I saw the empty lot with my own eyes!" Tonya argued.

"Then...they're really..._gone_?" Makayla asked in a quiet voice.

"I hate to say it, but it looks like they didn't make it out," Tonya replied gravely.

"And we didn't even get to say goodbye to them!" Caroline sobbed. Tonya wrapped a comforting arm around her sister's shoulders and let her sob into her shirt as Olivia wiped away tears from her own eyes and Makayla swallowed hard several times to keep from sobbing herself.

"Hey girls. What's with all the tears? Who died?" Samantha asked causally, doing a backflip and landing on the ground in front of the Battle Shell.

"SAMANTHA?! Is it REALLY-?" Makayla began to ask before Samantha smiled and nodded. The girls all screamed with delight and mobbed forward to hug her and pat her and ruffle her hair.

"OK, girls! It's good to see you too!" Samantha gasped as she felt her bones cracking. "OK! Too...much... love!" The girls released her, beaming and overjoyed to see their friend alive and well.

"Man! I'm gonna have to go and see a chiropractor after that!" Samantha moaned, massaging her spine.

"You alright, Princess?" Raph asked as he, his brothers and Master Splinter emerged from the side of the Battle Shell.

"Guys! You're OK!" Olivia screamed with delight as she jumped on Mikey and kissed him like it was her last day on Earth. Mikey wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back.

"Welcome back Hothead," Tonya said casually enough. Raph smirked and drew her in for a kiss before her hand came up and smacked him hard in the face. He pulled back, looking shocked, angry and hurt.

"What was **dat** for?!" he demanded.

"For scaring the living Hell outta me!" Tonya snapped before she pulled his bandana tails towards her and kissed him. Raph's anger slowly dissipated as he kissed her back, his hands sneakily pushing the corset she was wearing a little higher with every second that passed.

"God! I'm gonna have nightmares about this for **months**!" Caroline groaned, covering her eyes and running away from the makeout extravaganza that was playing out before her eyes.

"We were so worried about you," Makayla said to Leo before she kissed him. He kissed her back and then broke away from her.

"I'm sorry we worried you so much," he apologized. "We just..." The rest of his sentence was cut off by her firm, loving kiss and Leo simply closed his eyes and kissed her back. Samantha, who was seated on the edge of the Battle Shell, turned her eyes away from all the love that was being displayed in front of her.

"Feeling a little left out, my young tiger?" Don asked as he hopped up beside her.

"Kinda, yeah," Samantha confessed, smiling slightly. Don always seemed to know what was up with her.

"Samantha. Look at me," Don told her. She looked up and felt the genius turtle's lips on hers, kissing her fiercely and deeply enough to make her moan as she threw herself into his arms and kissed him back.

"**This **is how I would've kissed you back on the Triceraton home world," Don whispered in her ear before she silenced him from saying anything else with a deep, passionate kiss. He moaned and fought her tongue hard as it battled with his. Samantha could feel the adrenaline running through her veins and could hear the blood thundering in her ears as she kissed him.

"God, I want you so bad!" Don breathed, breaking away again for a breath of air.

"Then how about we finally..."consummate our relationship"?" Samantha suggested, smiling seductively. Don looked partially shocked and partially ecstatic.

"Tonight?" Don inquired quietly.

"Yeah. Unless you're busy," Samantha replied. "Which I totally get if you are. I mean you've got the work my uncle gave you, your projects, and..." The rest of her sentence was cut off by Don pressing his lips to hers.

"Are you kidding?" he whispered to her, smiling. "I wouldn't pass up an opportunity like this for the world!"

"That is **such** a guy thing to say, my turtle genius," Samantha chuckled, rolling her eyes.

"So, what's with the getup?" Leo inquired. Samantha looked and saw that April had on a yellow jumpsuit and held a microphone in her hand. "You a news reporter?"

"In another lifetime maybe," April chuckled, tossing away the microphone.

"I suggest we continue our reunion in a less conspicuous location," Master Splinter intoned wisely as the wail of police sirens could be heard across the street. Everyone hurried into the Battle Shell and buckled up.

"So. Do you **truly** think we've seen the last of the Shredder this time?" Leo asked Don as Raph sat in the driver's seat and Leo took shotgun.

"The Shredder?!" April repeated in shock. "Don't tell me **he** was in there!" Leo looked at Raph who looked at Don who looked at Sam who looked at Mikey.

"Boy! Have we got a story to tell you!" all five ninjas chorused.

* * *

After they had dropped the other girls, Casey and April off, Raph was driving the Battle Shell through the quiet streets of Westchester County.

"Yes Sophie," Samantha said into her cell phone. "I need scented candles, rose petals, and sandalwood fragrance. Yeah. I think I might have a migraine. Yes. The scents will help, Sophie. Believe me, I'll be a whole new person in the morning. OK. Thanks. Bye." It wasn't more than twenty minutes later before Raph pulled up onto the side street next to Samantha's house and parked the Battle Shell.

"You OK, Sam?" Don asked, looking slightly worried.

"Yeah, Donny. I'm fine," she replied, holding her head. "It's probably just a migraine. I should be fine in the morning." There was silence as the turtle genius of the brothers tried not to look disappointed. "Well...does anyone wanna walk me inside or should I risk falling off the balcony alone if my head starts pounding again?"

"Don't worry," Don said quickly, seeing Leo's mouth open and knowing that he was about to offer. "I'll walk you inside." Samantha nodded and allowed him to help her out of the Battle Shell. She rested her head on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around her waist. She bid Master Splinter and the others goodnight before Don and she walked towards the house. The doors of the Battle Shell swung closed.

"Ten bucks he hits a homerun," Mikey whispered to Raph, smirking.

"Mikey!" Leo scolded, narrowing his eyes at his youngest brother.

"I'll see your ten and raise it to twenty that he scores her _and_ marks her," Raph threw back, grinning wolfishly.

"No way! Don's not **that** much of a beast!" Mikey argued. "I'll still says he just scores her!"

"Trust me, goofball!" Raph countered. "When a guy's with a hot girl like da Princess, he ain't gonna think twice about marking what's his!"

"Raph! Mikey!" Leo shouted, sounding nothing less than shocked. "You guys **cannot **be betting on something like** this**!"

"Sure we can!" Mikey countered. "If ya can bet on the Super Bowl, then you can bet on your brother scoring with a hot girl!"

"Facts o' life, Fearless," Raph snickered.

"Samantha's **not** that kind of girl, guys!" Leo snapped. "Besides, she said she's not feeling well. Don's not **that** wild!"

"Ya **actually** fell for dat ruse, Leo?!" Raph demanded incredulously. "It's da oldest trick in da book!"

"Raph! Just quit while you're ahead. You're gonna be wasting your money on nothing!" Leo argued.

"Is that a bet then from you that they won't "seal the deal"?" Raph challenged.

"I'm not betting on anything because it's stupid!" Leo snapped.

"Yer just jealous 'cause it ain't you goin' off with da hot girl and gettin' some action, Fearless!" Raph chuckled, staring at Leo, whose face flushed slightly red.

"Get a grip, Raphael!" Leo growled. "I'm not like that! And neither is Donny!"

"Oh come on, Leo!" Raph cried in frustration. "Donny was practically grabbing her ass when he hauled her outta here! Even **you **saw that! He's totally hot for her, she's gonna give in, and **I'm **gonna be gettin' a nice twenty bucks when Don comes back and tells us he's done the deed."

"And **why** would he do that?" Leo scoffed. "Sex is something private between two people; not two people and the guy's entire family!" It was then that Leo turned to Master Splinter who'd been silent and pensive for the duration of this entire "conversation". "Master Splinter! **Please** tell them that they're crazy!"

"My sons. Leonardo is correct," Master Splinter intoned wisely. "You are quite insane to be betting on the private affairs of your brother and his girlfriend. Especially with such ridiculous amounts of money." Leo smirked, confident that their father was about to reprimand his younger brothers for their betting on something such as their brother being intimate with a girl.

"I mean, betting **only **20 bucks on Donatello finally "hitting a homerun"?!" Master Splinter scolded, smirking. "I'll wager at least fifty on your brother and Princess Bushido-san finally "sealing the deal", him marking her _and_ that they go more than once!" Raph's and Mikey's jaws dropped open while Leo clutched his head in horror and stared at his Sensei.

"MASTER SPLINTER!" Leo screeched in shock. He knew that his brothers were a little..._overtly _curious when it came to Samantha and Donatello, but **Master Splinter**?

"Hey! Leave 'im alone, Fearless!" Raph defended, grinning and looking surprised and relieved that Master Splinter was on their side and not Leo's. "Sensei knows what's up!"

"How would you kids say it?" Master Splinter mused. "Oh! I think I have it: you know it, home slice!" Master Splinter extended a fist to Raphael and Raph, chuckling at Sensei trying to use slang like they did, gave him props. Mikey was smiling as well but Leo was holding his head in his head, shaking his head in disbelief at the sheer lunacy of this entire situation.

"I'm starting to think I was adopted!" Leo groaned.

"**That** would explain a lot," Mikey giggled before Leo shot him a glare and Mikey quickly said, "Just kidding! Just kidding!" and wiping the smile off of his face.

"Oh quit being such a virgin, Leo!" Raph scoffed. "It's a part o' growing up! And little boy Donny's about ta become a man! Or at least...an adult mutant ninja turtle!"

"Why does it seem like **I** was the only one in this family born with a conscience?" Leo muttered to himself as his brothers and Master Splinter continued discussing the terms of their "bets".

* * *

Donatello hauled Samantha up over the railing of the balcony and watched as she entered her bedroom first through the balcony doors. The faint scent of sandalwood wafted through the open doors, giving the room an exotic almost foreign air to it. Don hesitated before following her inside and seeing dozens of lit candles illuminating the entire room, many of them surrounding the large, canopied bed. Rose petals were scattered across the floor, forming a sort of trail almost that circled the bed and led off towards the balcony in one direction and the armoire in the other.

"Wow. This is some headache treatment, Samantha," Don said casually, gazing around the room in curiosity and confusion.

"It's not a headache treatment, Donatello," Samantha replied, smiling seductively as she emerged from behind the gold canopy curtains of her bed. Dressed in a beautiful, thin, black negligee, her hair loose, her eyes surrounded by smoky eye shadow and mascara, and her lips fire-engine red, Donatello couldn't help but groan at the sight of his girlfriend looking so...arousing, for lack of a better word. She crooked a finger at him, beckoning him towards her. He practically flew across the room and snatched her up into his arms, his mouth on hers as soon as her body was against his. She returned his bruising kiss and tightened her grip around his neck, her tongue almost down his throat.

"But down in the Battle Shell, you told Leo and the others..." Don whispered, breaking away from the intensity to breathe.

"I told them that because I didn't want them...OK, I mainly didn't want** Leo** to even suspect what I was planning," Samantha replied, panting heavily. "I mean, come on Don. If I'd told Sophie that the rose petals and all this stuff was for us to finally "seal the deal", Leo would've done everything in his power to make sure that didn't happen."

"Don't tell me he's still in love with you!" Don snapped, looking agitated. Had the _tengu_ been right all along? Was Leo just playing the part of the "benevolent, loving brother" so that he could steal the most precious thing in Don's life away from him?

"I think it has more to do with you than with him, Don," Samantha answered truthfully. She could sense that he was reflecting on what had happened in space, and no doubt wondering if the _tengu _had been right. "I think that he would've tried to protect you from rushing into such a big decision. I mean, I'm no expert or anything, but sex isn't something to take very lightly."

"I know. But Leo **always **treats us like we're still kids or something! I mean, hello: I'm almost **seventeen**, bro! Give me some space and quit breathing down my neck, why don't you!"

"I'd kill to see his reaction if you ever said that to his face, Don!" Samantha chuckled, smiling. Don smiled as well, not only because he loved making Sam laugh, but also because for once in his life, Leo wasn't around to stop him from making a decision on his own.

"Well, I think we've wasted enough time on chitchat," Don whispered, his lips beginning to caress her throat and neck. She gripped his shoulders and groaned at the sensuality of his action, her eyes becoming hungry with lust and desire. "Now, how about we get to the **really** important stuff? Like getting you out of those clothes for instance?"

"And what about your brothers and Master Splinter, my turtle genius?" Samantha replied, her fingers brushing the skin between his shell and plastron, causing Don to shiver with pleasure.

"Let them wait," was his reply before she was pulled against him and his mouth crushed hers with a hot, rough kiss. Samantha reached over to the nearby night table and pressed the "Play" button docked IPod that was sitting there and allowed the song she'd chosen for this moment to fill the room:

(**A/N: So, the song in italics is called "Seems Like You're Ready" by R Kelly. Heard it once in a movie (will not say which one 'cause some of you readers are underage ), but I think it's pretty suitable for Don and Sam's first time. Hope you think so too!)**

_What's up baby?  
Come here...  
I wanna taste you._

_And I know you're gonna like it._

_So are you ready?_

"Damn Samantha!" Don whispered as he took out his bo staff and flung it onto the floor a short distance away, not breaking the kiss for even a second. "I never knew a human girl's lips could taste so sweet."

"Right back at ya, Donny," she replied as she backed towards her bed. When she felt the backs of her legs hit the wood, she pushed the canopy curtains aside and then allowed the techno genius to gently push her down onto the mattress, his body resting atop hers.

_I love the way your body feels next to mine,  
Listen...  
Let me explain..._

Don's hands slid down from Samantha's hair, caressing her neck and then slipping underneath the neckline of the negligee and underneath her bra. Samantha moaned as his fingers caressed and touched her breasts and he trailed kisses from her lips down her neck and chest and then his tongue lavishly licked the top of her cleavage, sending shivers of lust down the young girl's spine. She grabbed him by the bandana tails and pulled his head back up to hers, capturing his mouth in a passionate kiss. In the midst of this pleasure, Don's logical mind began kicking in momentarily. He remembered the last time that he'd allowed his hormones to overrule his mind, and he didn't want a repeat of it. But there was something else that was bothering him as Samantha's hands tangled in his bandana tails. He was wondering if she was doing this to prove that she didn't have feelings for Leo after what'd happened between the three of them in outer space. If she was, then Don didn't want to go through with this. He wrenched himself away and looked down at the panting, young woman, her negligee sliding off her shoulders, her lips swollen from the hard, passionate kissing. He wanted to toss his reasoning out the window and just take her here and now. But he fought down the desire.

"Donny. What's wrong?" Samantha inquired. "Did I-?"

"No. No, it's not you," Don panted, forcing himself to look her directly in the eyes. "At least...Samantha. You're not doing this because of...you know...what happened in outer space with you and Leo, are you?" There was a long moment of silence during which Samantha's eyes widen and also got a darker look to them.

"Is **that** why you think I'm doing this?"she demanded, sounding angry. "That this is some sort of pity sex or something?!"

"What?! No! I mean...maybe! I mean...I don't know!"

"Why would you even say something like that to me, Don?!"

"Well...because the last time my hormones got a little...out of control...you pushed me away and told me that you didn't believe in sex before marriage. I don't want you to feel that because of some stupid thing the _tengu_ did while it was in your body that you have to prove that you love me. I **know** you love me, Samantha, and I'm sorry if my behavior made you feel as if you needed to give yourself to me."

"Donatello. I'm not doing this because of what happened in outer space," Sam told him bluntly.

"You're not?! But what about...?"

"The whole "no sex before marriage" thing? Well, it was kind of out of fear of what Uncle Kenji might say if he ever found out that I'd...been with a guy that made me say that. Not that I'm advocating sleeping around! Hell no! That's just...not right to me! But, in outer space, when I was fighting the _tengu_, all I could think about was you, Don. And I thought to myself, _Am I gonna let someone's opinion of me stop me from showing the guy I love how much he means to me?_ That's when I decided that I was gonna finally let us take the next step if we ever found ourselves in an..._opportunistic _situation. Like right now."

"Really?" Don questioned, looking hopeful.

"Really," Samantha answered, smiling. "Besides," she continued, running a hand sensually down his plastron. "I've kinda been curious about how it would feel to get my world rocked by a genius, bo-staff slinging, sweetheart ninja turtle."

"Well then, my curious, young tiger," Don replied seductively, pushing her back down onto the mattress. "Let me satisfy your curiosity." He slammed his mouth onto hers as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He settled in between her legs and pulled her leg up around his waist as he placed his hands on either side of her to keep himself balanced.

_Temperature's rising..._

Samantha felt her skin heating up underneath Don's caresses and touching. Don's cold skin felt warmer to him as Sam's hands began exploring his body with peaking curiosity, this heat adding to the sensual warmth of the lit candles that bathed the two lovers.

_And your body's yearning for me..._

_(So come here baby)_

Grasping the hem of the negligee in both hands, Don felt Samantha's hands atop his for a moment. He looked into her eyes and thought that she was signaling that she wanted him to stop. But she smiled and moved them next to his and kissed him, silently telling him that she was far from wanting this to end. Smiling beneath the kiss, he tugged the negligee up and over her head, revealing a royal-purple set of lingerie beneath it. The sight of her was more than he could bear. His body wanted her. **He** wanted her.

_Girl lay it on me.  
I place no one above thee.  
Oh take me to your ecstasy..._

Samantha, although she'd faced the Shredder, his lackey, Hun, and countless other enemies time after time, was now scared out of her wits when the negligee was pulled over her head and tossed onto the floor beside her bed. No boy had ever seen her naked before, and she was completely scared that Don would think she was fat or ugly or something that would just kill her right there and then and make her want to die.

"Damn!" he breathed, his eyes roving over her breasts, her stomach, her thighs. _Just wait for the tear-down and then walk away with your head held up, Sam! _ she told herself as she braced for the criticism.

"I've never seen a woman as beautiful as you, baby," he told her, attacking her neck with kisses. She loudly breathed a sigh of relief that soon turned into a groan as she felt his teeth graze her neck lightly.

"You really mean that, Donny?" she asked him, breaking away for a moment.

"Of course," Don replied, burying his face in her neck. "No other woman on this planet is as beautiful as you are, my ninja princess!" Samantha smiled, her insecurities vanishing like the morning mist.

_It seems like you're ready..._

He looked into her eyes and she could see that he meant what he'd said to her. In his eyes, there was no one else that could match her beauty. And that she was the one he wanted. Then, why the Hell was she delaying some valuable time alone with the one she loved? She pulled him on top of her and kissed him hard.

_Seems like you're ready  
Girl are you ready?  
To go all the way?  
All the way._

"Are you sure you wanna do this, Samantha?"

"For the thousandth time, Don, yes! Now, quit asking me that and show me how much of a freak you can be in bed, baby."

"Fine. But just to warn you: I'm about to **seriously** rock your world, my young tiger."

"Talk's cheap, my turtle genius. How about you show me and then I'll be the judge of whether or not my world just got rocked?"

"Deal."

_Seems like you're ready  
Girl are you ready?  
To go all the way?  
All the way._

Don pulled Samantha up to his chest and reached around her back, kissing her senseless as he grasped the hooks of her bra and undid them slowly and sensually before tossing it aside. Samantha seized his elbow pads and ripped them off his arms. He pushed her away momentarily and undid the belt he wore along with his knee pads.

_I can smell your perfume.  
Step into my bedroom.  
Let me love you constantly.  
(Come here baby...)_

He pulled her underneath the soft covers of the bed with and began trailing kisses down her neck and chest towards her bare breasts. Her hands tangled in his bandana and soon untied it and cast it to the floor.

_Oh your body is my playground.  
Let me lick you up and down,  
Make you feel like a woman should.  
It seems like you're ready..._

Don felt himself grow hard as Samantha's hands slid up his muscled thighs. His fingers hooked onto the sides of her panties as he suckled her breasts. Samantha snatched a breath and groaned when she felt his tongue caress the sensitive area. God, he was good! She bit down on his other shoulder, causing him to moan as he pulled her panties off her. Just then, the familiar ringing of a cell phone filled the humid, sensual atmosphere of the room.

_What the Hell?! _Don thought to himself angrily as he pulled away and snatched up his Shell-cell from the floor. He looked at the Caller ID. _That sorry little bastard! I'm gonna kill him!_

"Who the heck's calling you?" Samantha asked, breathing heavily, drawing the sheets up over her chest.

"Who else?" Don replied bitterly, displaying the Caller ID to his girlfriend before answering the Shell-cell. "What is it, Leo?!"

"Don. We've been waiting out here for you for almost 45 minutes!" Leo reminded him. "We need to get home, remember?"

"Then get home. I'll see you guys there later," Don replied, trying not to sound too snappish.

"Is Samantha alright?" Leo asked worriedly. "Is her headache any worse?"

"It comes and it goes," Don answered, trying his hardest not to moan when Samantha lightly bit him his shoulder. He pushed against her, covering her mouth with his hand before she could let out a moan of pleasure. "I'm gonna stay with her tonight and keep her company. In case she wants me...I mean, needs my medical expertise."

"You sure that's all that's happening between you two?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Just some stupid bet Raph, Mikey and Master Splinter have on." Don could've cursed at having been so obvious to his family that he wanted Samantha. He should've known that Raph was quite familiar with sex, and Mikey caught on to things quicker than people thought he did. And Master Splinter. He was old, yes, but he wasn't stupid. He'd probably seen the lustfulness in his son's eyes or saw how possessively he'd grabbed her from the Battle Shell when she was saying goodnight to all of them. He was **so** gonna be busted when he returned to the Lair the next day.

"Well...I'm rooting for Master Splinter."

"What?! Donny, does that mean...?! You and Samantha are...?! Am **I**...?!"

"Leo. Just hang up the phone."

"Donny, do you have **any** idea what you're getting yourself into?! This has got to be the dumbest...!" Just then, Samantha, who was becoming impatient, snatched the phone away from Don and put it to her ear.

"Hamato Leonardo! If you don't hang up this phone **right now**, I'm kick your turtle ass when I come over with the girls for Movie Night! Capish?!" There was a click and then line went dead. Samantha tossed the phone back onto the floor and turned back to face a slack-jawed, wide-eyed Don.

"How did you...?!" he began to ask, but she cut him off with a hot kiss and pulled him on top of her, spreading her legs apart, the kiss the silent consent that Don had been so worried about getting from her.

_Look in the mirror... (Oohh)  
Now come a little bit closer (Don't hurry...)_

Breathing in the intoxicating scent of her perfume, he groaned before pushing his hardened length inside her.

_Don't be scared (you worry)  
Im not gonna hurt you... _

_I wanna do all the things you want me to do to you (all of the things you want)  
Baby I wanna make you feel real good (need to do...)_

He heard her groan and saw the tears in her eyes and automatically began freaking out mentally. Was he hurting her? Was this going to ruin their relationship? Why had he even fallen into the temptation? He was about to pull away from her when she grabbed his shoulders and stopped him.

"Don, it's fine. I...I just need a second to...get used to it," Sam told him.

"You're sure, baby?" he asked, looking nothing less than worried sick.

"Yes."

_So are you ready  
For my loving babe?_

_Is she really ready for this?_ Don wondered to himself before he felt her pushing herself up his length. He looked back down at her and saw that she was smiling seductively, a challenging look in her eyes.

"Well? Are you gonna rock my world, my turtle genius?" she purred as her teeth grazed his neck, causing him to growl before her lips slid up his neck and she was looking into his chocolate-brown eyes. "Or was that all just talk?"

_I'm gonna make you feel so good  
But there's one thing  
I'd like to know, is..._

With a groan, Don began thrusting up inside her, his thrusts meeting with each of hers. He'd never felt so animalistic in his entire life as he pushed himself in and out of her. She clung to his shoulders tightly, as he began to speed up, hitting her harder and harder inside her core.

_Do you want it baby?  
Do you need it babe?  
I'd like to know if I'm the one that you're preparing for..._

"Is this what you wanted, baby?" he whispered in her ear as he continued making love to her at a faster pace. He felt her release was drawing near, but didn't slow his pace down one bit.

"Mmmm. Yes. Yes! God, yes!" she moaned, arching her back. "I want you fully inside me, Don. I want to feel every inch of you inside my body. Just take me. **Now**."

_Tell me babe...  
Am I the one you want?  
Am I the one you need?  
I just gotta know right now...right now_

He gripped the outside of her thigh and pulled her leg around him as he buried himself deeper inside her. She arched her back once more as she met his quick thrusts with her own. Knowing that she would soon reach her end, he slowed his pace down.

"Donatello!" she groaned in pleasure. "I want you. I need you. Love me. Take me." Hearing that sparked something primitive inside the genius turtle. He immediately plunged deep inside her and sped up once more. A layer of sweat covered their bodies as Samantha bit Don's neck hard, her nails scratching his muscled arms as she closed her eyes and groaned. She was his now. The two of them had become one. _She's all mine,_ Don thought before he sunk his teeth into her neck, biting her hard and causing her to cry out. _He marked me. Just like I marked him, _Samantha thought in her sensual-overflowing mind.

_Cause it seems just like you're ready  
just like you're ready babe.  
And I don't wanna make no mistakes at all._

"Don." He could feel her edge drawing closer and closer, but he didn't want this to end without it being perfect.

"DON."

_But it seems like you're ready.  
Come here baby.  
Hey there lady.  
I'm willing to bet my life that you're ready. _

It was then that she tumbled over the edge and screamed, "DONATELLO!" He groaned and, with one last, powerful thrust, spilled his seed inside her, calling out her name. Catching her lips in a passionate kiss, Don slid out of her and rolled over to the side, pulling her with him.

_And I promise I'll be good to you baby... _

"That...was **incredible**," Samantha panted as she lay on Don's plastron, gazing lovingly at the techno genius, who was breathing pretty hard himself.

"I know," he replied, kissing her cheek. "You were amazing. That was honestly the best sex I've ever had."

"It's the **only** sex you've ever had. I hope."

"You're right. And I'm glad you were my first."

"Right back at you." It was then that Don pulled the scattered sheets of the bed over them and gathered up the ninja princess into his arms, feeling her leg wrap around his waist as he held her against his body."Don?" he heard her say.

"Hmm?"he replied.

"This wasn't just a whole one night stand thing, was it?" She looked up at him and saw in his eyes that he was about to give her an honest answer.

"No way. I've never believed in it, and I never will. Besides, you are far too precious to me to be a one night stand. I want you all to myself for as long as I live."

_You don't have to worry no more..._

"Now, let's get some sleep, baby," Don said as he sighed feeling her snuggle against him. "Tomorrow's gonna be a **long** day for both of us."

"Especially with Round Two in the morning," Samantha said, smiling.

"Round Two? Exactly how many rounds are there?"

"What's the matter, Turtle Einstein? Afraid you can't rock my world more than once?"

"I can rock your world to the core as many times as it takes to prove it to you, baby." Samantha giggled and then snuggled closer to her boyfriend.

"Don?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you too." All of the insecurities and worries that the young ninja princess had been feeling deep within her soul vanished like the morning mist when Don said those four words to her. And she drifted off to sleep, the last line of the son she'd chosen to mark this moment in her life played in her head like a reassuring melody.

_You don't have to worry no more. _

_(Song fades)_

**Don: THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! *crushes me in an enormous bear hug***

**Me: You're...welcome! Don! Can't...breathe!**

**Don: Oops! Sorry! *releases me***

**Mikey: Wow, Donny. You must be pretty happy about getting your shining moment in this chapter to nearly kill the author who wrote it with a hug! **

**Honkytonk-babe3: I second that! I never thought you'd be the hormone-crazed one of the group, Donny.**

**Don: Another visiting fan, I presume?**

**Honkytonk-babe3: Yep. Honkytonk-babe3's the name. Nice to meet you, Don.**

**Mikey: Hey dudette! I'm Mikey!**

**Honkytonk-babe3: MIKEY! *hugs him* You're so amazing! Do you wanna be best friends?!**

**Mikey: Totally! I'll even add you on Facebook!**

**Me: You have Facebook?**

**Don: Who doesn't?**

**Raph: What's going on? *sees Honkytonk-babe3* Oh. Another visiting fan.**

**Honkytonk-babe3: OH! MY! GOD! RAPHAEL! *fangirl screams***

**Don: She's a Raph fan?**

**Me: Oh yeah. She'd marry the guy if he wasn't with Tonya. **

**Mikey: But so would Kimmie98 and all the other fans Raph has!**

**Me: That's true.**

**Honkytonk-babe3: You're SO awesome! You're a kick-ass fighter, you protect your family, you ride a motorcycle and YOU'RE HOT! I can't BELIEVE I've actually met you! All my friends are gonna be _so_ jealous!**

**Raph: Man, Livangel16! Why can't these type of fans come every time?!**

**Don: Because it wouldn't be fair to the rest of us, Raph!**

**Raph: So...you wanna go for a ride on the Shell Cycle?**

**Honkytonk-babe3: Would I EVER!**

**Raph: *grabs two helmets and gives one to Honkytonk-babe3 and puts on the other before wheeling out Shell Cycle. Honkytonk-babe3 sits behind him and he revs the engine, pops a wheelie and then zooms off***

**Me: He just stole my visiting fan!**

**Mikey: And my new best friend!**

**Don: Sucks for you guys. I still got my REQUEST! Woohoo! *does backflips and cheers***

**Me: Boys. Hey. Where's Leo?**

**Mikey: He said he's busy training, but that he'll come back in the next end-of-chapter party we have.**

**Raph: *returns on Shell Cycle with excited-looking Honkytonk-babe3* Well. How'd ya like it?**

**Honkytonk-babe3: You...are...AWESOME! I mean, you didn't even BLINK when we jumped across that demolished bridge! Cool! Well, I've gotta go. Thanks for inviting me here, Livangel16! I really enjoyed it.**

**Me: I can see that.**

**Raph: Hey. Honkytonk-babe3. I'll look ya up on Facebook. Add me ta yer Friends?**

**Honkytonk-babe3: Sure. **

**Mikey: What about me? *makes puppy dog face***

**Honkytonk-babe3: Aww! Of course I'm adding you too, Mikey. And Don. And even Leo. You guys are awesome. 'Kay. I gotta go. Bye Don! Bye Mikey! Bye _Raph!_**

**Don: *stops backflips* Bye!**

**Mikey: Talk to ya on Facebook, dudette!**

**Raph: Don't be a stranger! I mean it! *Honkytonk-babe3 blushes and hurries away* Man. Her and that Kimmie98 were awesome. Can I get more visiting fans like that?**

**Me: Sure. As soon as Donny gets some visiting fans. **

**Raph: *turns to audience* Come one, come all and visit the genius reptile that is Donatello! *takes out his sais* Or ya gonna wish ya had by da time I'm through with ya! *puts away sais and smirks* So. Any takers?**

**Whew! That was EXHAUSTING! Longest chapter I've ever written! So, please review, review, review as they are what inspire the Muses, who in turn, inspire me to write such awesome chapters. Next time, it's the chapter we've all been waiting for: Leo vs. the Ultimate Ninja with the dramatic twists and turns that will keep you riveted to the screen provided by yours truly! So, please review and tell your friends and readers about this story guys! Thanks! Happy reading!**

**-Livangel16**


	48. Chapter 48

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Hello again! Thanks to all my lovely reviewers: grapejuice101, pokemonjkl, Aster Sapphire, DragonBlade1000, IceColdFever, ****flamedragon242, tmnt-Michelangelo fangirl, TMNTfan95, Kimmie98, HuskerKnight227, ninja-warrior101, mchap1154, Mayu123, Artemisia Skywalker, ZOMBIEASSASSINNINJA, Josh Haner, White Fairy Writer, cook563, I Love Kittens Too, Extreme Dinosaur Fangirl, missymousemonster, bell-13-tmnt-lover, honkytonk-babe3 and WolfAssassin369! I've never had so many reviews before guys, so a BIG THANK YOU! And PLEASE keep it up! And now...the chapter we've all been waiting for! *drum roll* Leo's battle with the Ultimate Ninja! Enjoy! ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Forty-Eight

Leo was pacing in his room, hands tucked behind his shell. He'd barely slept last night, so wrapped up in his thoughts about Samantha having sex with his brother. He was worried about the both of them, but more so about the ninja princess. He'd called and texted her many times during the night, hoping that she would pick up, but each time had yielded the same result: no reply. And it was driving him crazy. Yes, he was dating Makayla who was one of Sam's best friends, but he still couldn't help but feel something towards Samantha; something beyond the normal bonds of friendship that he had with April and Angel. Questions plagued him even now after a sleepless night: Did he still love her? Had her ignoring him during their adventure in the Utrom chronicles been a way of her telling him it was over for good between them? And this had somehow predicted that she'd finally consummate her relationship with Don? Or was she hiding the fact that she still carried a flame in her heart for him? And it was this above all that was confusing the heck out of him. He didn't know if Samantha still had feelings for him or not. Stopping his pacing, he silently left his room and crossed the Lair to Master Splinter's room.

"Enter," the elderly voice said before Leo could even raise his hand to knock on the sliding door. Sliding it open, Leo slipped inside and saw his Sensei kneeling on a woven mat behind a short table, a cup of tea in front of him. Leo went and knelt on the other side, facing his ninjitsu master and father.

"You are troubled, Leonardo," Master Splinter observed, taking in the dark circles under the ninja turtle's eyes. "And greatly so. It has kept sleep from your eyes."

"Master Splinter. I...I'm worried. About Don and Samantha," Leo confessed.

"Did you end up joining the little "bet" I have with your brothers?" Master Splinter asked, his furry eyebrows furrowing.

"No! Of course not!" Leo answered, looking shocked. "It...it's just...I know that Don and Sam are... together and everything, but...I...I still can't help but feel something towards Samantha. And I don't know what it is."

"What do you believe it to be, my son?"

"I...I think it...it might be...love. I mean...I really do care about Makayla, and I have strong feelings for her. But with Samantha...she's my brother's girlfriend, but I...I...still feel as though she's someone that I can't bear to live without."

"There are many types of love in this world, Leonardo. And many of them are complex and hard to understand while some are simple and easy. We all love Princess Samantha. She is family. But Donatello's love for her is much stronger than ours. You Leonardo must determine not whether or not you love Princess Bushido-san, but whether or not this love is an honorable love."

"I understand, Sensei. Thank you." Leo bowed to his father and then stood up from the mat and exited the room. Master Splinter watched his son go and sighed heavily. He'd felt another presence in the room with them, and he could sense that this third party was going to bring his family and their friends nothing but trouble.

* * *

Samantha's eyes slowly opened. Turning on her side, she smiled when she saw the still-sleeping Donatello lying beside her. They'd woken up during the night at least two more times, both of these times satisfying the lust that'd grown in them like untended weeds. She gently placed a kiss on Don's cheek. He moaned slightly before drawing her closer to him, his arms tightening around her waist. She sighed, resting her head against his plastron before she heard the blaring of "International Love" coming from the floor beside the bed. Samantha groaned and then tried to roll over to reach over the side and get it. But Don's grip was stronger than she anticipated.

"Leave it," he muttered, planting a gentle, chaste kiss on her lips that quickly turned more heated as he found himself on top of her, his arms drawing her closer to his body.

"I can't," Samantha muttered, groaning when he kissed her neck. "What if it's Uncle Kenji calling? Or one of the girls?" Don rolled off of her and allowed her to grab up her phone before seizing her around the waist and pulling her back against his chest.

"Hello?" Samantha answered.

"Hey Sammy girl!" chirped the cheery voice of Olivia. "Hope I didn't disturb your beauty sleep!"

"Nah. I'm good," Samantha replied. "So what's with the early morning wakeup call?"

"Just reminding you that we're meeting up with Mac and Tonya at the Starbucks at the Montaigne Humanities Building Café to study and hang out. You still down for that?"

"Of course. I need some help catching up with the work I missed over the last three months anyways. Donny's got too much work to do as it is without an entire university course load added to it."

"I could manage it!" Don protested, hugging her even closer to him.

"Wait! Was that Don I just heard?!" Olivia demanded.

"Yeah. He stayed the night, and...oh, shoot! You weren't supposed to know that!" Samantha muttered, her face turning red with the heat of a blush.

"OH...MY...GOD! You guys actually...?Is he...? Sam, are you...? Oh, I sound like a complete idiot right now, don't I!"

"No. You sound like you heard I just married the King of Spain. After his family found out."

"Wait! Leo, Raph, Mikey and Master Splinter all know that you and Don...?"

"Yes, Olivia. Remember: this is the family that **can't** keep secrets from each other, no matter how hard they try. So...yes. They all know."

"Wow! Look at you, Little Miss Bold! How's Leo taking the news?"

"'Liv, I haven't spoken to Leo since last night. Besides, why would he care anyways? Other than the fact that Don's his brother."

"Umm...maybe the fact that Makayla thinks he's still in love with you. And from the way he's always looking at you, I kinda have to agree with her. That boy sees you like how Mikey sees his video games and comic books!"

"So, I'm basically a comic book to that guy? Sorry, 'Liv. But I'm not **that** easy to read."

"Maybe not. But he is. And any fool could tell that the boy still has a torch for you, Sammy."

"I know. Why do you think I've been ignoring his text messages and calls? I mean...there were some things that happened between us that...well...I'll tell you and the girls when I get to Starbucks, alright?"

"OK. Well, have fun snuggling with your BF!" Olivia chuckled.

"Don't worry," Don laughed, pulling Samantha closer to him. "I'll make **sure** she does!"

"Damn Donny! You maybe be a giant, talking, ninja turtle, but you're still just as horny as every teenage, human boy I've ever known!" Olivia teased.

"Olivia!" Samantha snapped playfully, rolling her eyes.

"OK! OK! I'm sorry! Sheesh! Tough crowd. Anyways, see ya at high noon, Sammy!"

"Noon?! What time is it now, Olivia?!" Don asked, sitting up in bed.

"7:45 a.m. Why?" Olivia replied.

"Shit! Master Splinter's gonna **kill** me!" Don shouted, hurrying out of bed and snatching up his gear. Samantha watched as he put back on his elbow and knee pads along with his belt and retied his bandana for him. He grabbed his bo staff and Shell-cell off the floor before leaning down and giving Samantha a kiss goodbye.

"Sorry I have to run off like this, baby," he apologized, looking extremely upset that he couldn't stay with the woman he loved. "But you know how Master Splinter is about our ninja training."

"Of course. I understand, Donny," Sam replied, taking his hand in hers. "Besides...it's not like we can't... reschedule our cuddling for another time, right?"

"I don't know what I love about you the most Samantha: your devious mind, your awesome ninja skills or that delicious, curvaceous body I just made love to."

"And I don't know whether it's your intelligence, your good looks and charm or certain other... _aspects_ of that ninja body of yours that are just as big as your genius brain that make my heart start skipping beats around you, Donatello."

"Uh... hello? I'm still here!" Olivia informed them, laughing through the phone as Don and Samantha both blushed. Don gave his girlfriend another kiss before hurrying through the balcony doors and leaping off, sticking to the shadows as he made his way to the manhole on the deserted side street and Samantha, after exchanging goodbyes with Olivia, made her way to the shower to get ready to meet her friends.

* * *

Donatello had keyed in the code for the Lair's security system when the wall rose up and revealed a stern-faced Leo standing there, causing Don to draw out his bo staff and drop into a fighting stance.

"Hey Don," Leo greeted causally. Don breathed a sigh of relief and put away his bo staff.

"Geez, Leo!" Don scolded. "You have a death wish or something?! Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry about that," Leo replied in a serious tone. Don looked and saw the dark circles under his brother's eyes that he hadn't slept much at all.

"Rough night?" Don asked.

"You could say that," Leo answered. Don frowned as he heard the serious tone still there in his eldest brother's voice. And even if he didn't have a genius brain, Don still knew what had caused his brother's sleepless night.

"OK, Leo. Is this about me and Samantha?"

"Yes."

"What is it **this **time?!"

"C'mon Donny! **You're** the genius, remember? Do I **really** have to spell it out for you?!"

"God, Leo! Get over it: we slept together, and I don't regret it! Not one bit!"

"Did you even stop to **think** of the consequences?"

"Leo...if you're worried about her getting pregnant or something...!"

"Yes! That's exactly what I'm worried about! You're both only **seventeen**! She's got her whole life ahead of her! You could've waited until she was done school, had a career and was ready to make such a huge decision! But no! You **had** to go and seduce her and...!"

"You don't know what the Hell you're talking about!"

"Oh, don't I? You'd better pray that she's not carrying your child, Donatello! Otherwise...!"

"Otherwise what?! I can't get her pregnant, Leo! It's impossible!"

"How would **you** know? This is the first time you've ever been with a human before! You can't just make all these assumptions just so you can do whatever you want!"

"This isn't about me or Samantha, is it?! It's about **you!** And the fact that you can't seem to let her go, even though you've got someone!"

"You're crazy!"

"Don't think I haven't notice the way you look at her! How you always seem to be desperate to have your hands all over her! But I'm warning you now: if I so much as catch you trying to kiss my girlfriend, you won't know what the shell hit you by the time I'm through kicking your sorry ass!"

"I'd like to see you try, Genius!" Leo challenged, taking out his katana swords.

"Careful what you wish for, Fearless leader!" Don threw back, taking out his bo staff again, a deadly look on his face. Just then, Mikey had the unfortunate opportunity of stumbling onto the battle scene and seeing his brothers with their weapons drawn and looking ready for a fight to the death. He dropped the comic book he was carrying to the ground and stared at Leo and Don for a moment before deciding to intervene. The last thing they needed was two, injured turtles on the same day as Movie Night. Makayla and Sammy would **never** forgive him for letting their boyfriends go at each other like a pair of fight dogs, and Mikey knew that Olivia (being the amazing sweetheart she was) would back them up. And there was **no way** he was gonna let Don and Leo ruin his first, real date with a cute girl!

"Whoa! Dudes! Just chill out for a second!" Mikey advised, coming over to his two, tense, older brothers. Leo and Don both stared at Mikey as though he had two heads or an extra arm before their gazes locked back onto each other and became hard.

"Stay out of this, Mikey!" Leo warned, tightening his grip on his katanas.

"You know I can't do that, Leo," Mikey replied in a calm yet firm tone. "Now, I don't know what the shell's going on between you two, but there are two things I **do **know: 1) both of you are acting like Raphael, and that's not cool. You guys have always been good friends as well as brothers. Sure something's come in between you two, but don't let it destroy your friendship and make you enemies. 2) Tonight's Movie Night. Samantha, Makayla, Olivia, Caroline and Tonya are coming over for a night of relaxation and enjoyment. And the last thing they need is you two being cold to each other as well as being bruised and battered. So...whatever's going on between you two, work it out now so that when Olivia comes over, I can worry about making a move on her instead of you two trying to strangle each other." Silence and tension reigned between the two brothers, and Mikey was wondering if his words had done any good.

"He's right," Leo finally confessed, putting his katanas back in their holders. "We can't do this to our friendship and our brotherhood, Donny. And we **especially** can't put the girls through this, either. I'm sorry. I guess...a part of me still loves Samantha, and... I just worry about her and..."

"I get it," Don cut in kindly, sheathing his bo staff and straightening up. "And I guess a part of me just doesn't want to lose her so badly that I'm willing to kick the shell out of my oldest brother to make sure it doesn't happen. I'm sorry, too."

"So...we're cool?" Leo asked.

"Yeah. We're cool," Don answered, smiling as he and Leo hugged. Mikey smiled. Thank God for Dr. Phil! "Just don't try and seduce my girlfriend, OK?"

"Donny!" Leo and Mikey groaned playfully. Don smirked and shrugged, replying with, "What?!"

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that, Don," Leo told him, smirking a bit.

"Yeah. Especially thanks to what happened last night, hmm Donny Boy?" Mikey added, snickering. Don's face turned as red as a tomato.

"So, how was it? What'd you guys do? Was she awesome? Is she as hot naked as she is with...?!" Leo promptly slapped him in the head before he could finish his sentence. "OW! Leo! What the shell?!"

"No way are you asking **that** question, Mikey!" Leo snapped, sounding his usual, bossy self again. "That's completely inappropriate!"

"Like **you** don't wanna know the answer to that one, Leo!" Mikey retorted, rubbing his head with one hand. Leo narrowed his eyes at the goofball turtle, but he was secretly praying that he wasn't blushing. Don rolled his eyes.

"Geez Shell-for-Brains. Yer even more of a voyeur dan me," Raph said as he joined the small group over by the door. It was then that he took in that Don had returned, and the smirk on his face grew wider. "So, Einstein returns after spending the night making his girlfriend into a woman. Ya don't need ta tell me how it was, Donny. I can tell by the way you were ready to kick Leo's ass that you and da Princess had a lot o' fun last night. Dat and the marks on yer neck." Don blushed and immediately tried to hide the bite marks with his hand, but Mikey snatched his hand away and gaped at them.

"Damn! Sammy's an animal!" Mikey crowed as he inspected the bite marks on Don's neck and shoulders. "She marked you up good, Donny!"

"Only 'cause **he** marked **her**. Am I right, Einstein?" Raph prodded, his smirk turning into a grin when he saw Don's face turn even redder than it already was. "Shell yea! Looks like I just bagged myself some easy cash from Mikey and Masta Splinter!"

"I still can't believe you guys bet on me and Samantha...you know..." Don said to his brothers.

"That makes two of us," Leo seconded, crossing his arms over his plastron and glaring at Raph and Mikey.

"Get yer head outta da sand, Fearless!" Raph snapped, glaring back at him. "What's done is done! So, how many times you two go at it?"

"Raph, that's none of your business!" Don snapped. Then, he relented and smiled. "Actually, it doesn't really matter anyways."

"Why?" Mikey inquired.

"Because neither of you won the bet. Master Splinter did," Don answered, smirking. Raph and Mikey's jaws dropped open.

"Yer kidding!" Raph yelled in shock.

"No way, dude!" Mikey seconded, looking equally as shocked.

"**Way**, bros," Don said, trying his hardest not to snicker at their shocked and disbelieving expressions. "Now, I'm going to take a shower and catch some sleep."

"First, Donatello, you will speak with me," Master Splinter called from the door of his room. He was trying to look stern, but there was still a slight smile on his face. He'd heard everything. Don groaned and then hurried towards the chamber.

"And after I speak with Donatello, I believe I am about to become a hundred dollars richer," Master Splinter added, smirking at Raph and Mikey. Leo snickered and his brothers scowled. "So have your money ready, my sons. I expect to be paid every, red cent of my money! And, as the wise Japanese sage once said: "Pleasure doing business with you...suckers!" With that, Master Splinter disappeared into his chamber and rolled the door shut.

"I need to call Sammy! She'll tell us what happened!" Mikey exclaimed, snatching out his Shell-cell and pressing the button for Sam.

"Mikey! You can't ask her to tell you her private business!" Leo scolded, reaching for the phone. Raph smacked his hand away.

"When it involves my money Fearless, **nothing's** private!" Raph retorted, coming close to Mikey. Leo only shook his head and walked away, wondering sometimes why he was cursed to be the mature one of his brothers.

* * *

Samantha was sipping on a Chocolate Cookie Crumble Frappuccino at a table with Tonya, Makayla, Olivia and April. The redhead had taken the day off from working at her uncle's antique shop when Samantha had called her and told her that she was meeting the girls at Starbucks today to tell them something really important. Secretly, April felt glad to be included in this inner circle of girls. It was nice to feel like she belonged with other human females, even if they were younger than her. Especially when Samantha was dishing out such juicy morsels about her first time with Don. She took another sip of her vanilla latté and tuned back in to the conversation.

"Did it hurt?" Olivia inquired, looking worried.

"A little bit," Samantha confessed, shrugging and trying to bury her reddening face in the shoulder. "But I mean, I've never done anything like..._that_ before. And...well...Don's not exactly...on the smaller side of the scale." Olivia, the girls, and April all screeched and began laughing so loudly that several patrons at the tables nearby gave them dirty looks. Tonya just glared back at them until they turned back to doing whatever it was they were doing before.

"Damn girl! You can't just go divulging things like that!" Makayla hissed playfully, lightly slapping Sam's hand. "But while we're on the subject..."

"Oh no, Mac!" Samantha snickered, shaking her head. "You're not getting **that** info from me! That's something that stays between me and my amazing boyfriend!"

"So, he's moved up in the ranks," Tonya observed, smirking. "He's now "my amazing boyfriend". Wow. He must really be incredible in bed!"

"Why **don't** I doubt that you and Raph were made to be together?" April giggled, earning bursts of laughter from the four girls. Just then, Sam's Shell-cell began ringing and, after seeing the Caller ID, she answered it.

"Hey Mikey," she greeted. Olivia's face lit up like the Sun at midday, making Samantha want to burst out giggling. That girl was sprung!

"What's up, my beautiful, amazing ninja princess?!" he replied. Samantha's suspicions were immediately starting to number. Mikey had never called her that name before. He was acting sweeter than usual.

"OK, Mikey. What's going on?" she asked, getting straight to the point.

"Just seeing if you and the girls are still coming over for Movie Night tonight," Mikey answered.

"Mikey wants to know if we're all still coming for Movie Night, girls," Samantha said, taking the phone away from her ear and holding it up over the center of the table. "What's our answer?"

"YES!" all five girls yelled at once, then burst out into another fit of laughter as Samantha picked up the phone and put it back to her ear.

"That answer your question?" she snickered.

"Yeah. Along with giving me an incredible earache!" Mikey replied.

"So...anything else?"

"Well... I know this is kinda private and everything, Sammy, but..."

"But what? What is it?"

"Well, you know how you and Don were...together and everything last night?"

"Yeah?"

"Um...exactly...how...no, wait. Um...?"

"Oh fer cryin' out loud!" she heard Raph snarl. "Princess. I need a straight answer to one question: how many times did you and Donny go at it?"

"Raph! That is **none** of your business!" Samantha snapped. Tonya simply rolled her eyes.

"Look! I got fifty smackers on da line here, so quit being bashful and just spill already!" Raph told her bluntly.

"Who's the fifty bucks going to?" Samantha inquired.

"Dat ain't relevant!"

"It is if you want an answer. Now, who's the money going to?!"

"Masta Splinter."

"Say WHAT?!"

"I know. We were kinda shocked too. He bet that you and Donnie would do it, he'd mark ya, and that you two would go at it more than once."

"Well...looks like you'd better pay up."

"Aw, shell! Princess, you **didn't**!"

"Yep. We did. And right now, I'm going to get another Frappuccino. I'll see you guys later."

"Alright. Later."

"I'll be right back, girls," she said to her friends as she got up and went back to the counter. "One Chocolate Cookie Crumble Frappuccino and a chocolate croissant, please," she told the blonde-haired barista. She handed over the money and the girl, after giving her the change, nodded and went to work immediately.

"Wow. **Someone** has a sweet tooth," chuckled a voice from behind her. Samantha whipped around and saw a young man not that much older than herself standing behind her, smiling. His long, red hair was tied back and his green eyes danced with pleasure. He was wearing ordinary clothes, but Samantha recognized him off the bat. She was angry at seeing him here on the one day she was trying to relax and have fun with her girls, but a small part of her was also fearful. Was he finally going to get even with her for what she'd done to him? She couldn't let him see that she was afraid.

"What the Hell are you doing here?!" she snapped angrily at him. The young man grinned wolfishly.

"Just in the neighborhood," he replied. "Though I can't say I'm disappointed about running into **you**, Samantha. How long's it been?"

"Apparently, not long enough!" she grumbled loudly.

"Oh, don't be like that, sugar! I've missed you!" he purred. He reached up and ran the back of his hand along her face which she promptly slapped away.

"Don't **ever** touch me!" she growled.

"Please! You used to shiver whenever I touched you!" he scoffed.

"Yeah! Because I was repulsed!"

"Whatever, Samantha. I know you want me."

"Could you be **any more** of a conceited, arrogant jerk?!"

"Your order, Miss," the barista broke in, handing Samantha her Frappuccino and chocolate croissant. She hadn't missed the argument that was taking place between these two. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes. Fine," Samantha answered, putting on a fake smile and taking her order. "I'm just leaving, anyways." She turned and was about to push past him when he grabbed her arm and whirled her around.

"Samantha, wait! I just want to...!" he began to say, but Samantha knew whatever was going to come out of his mouth was nothing but a lie.

"Let me go!" she ordered, transferring her Frappuccino to her other hand along with her croissant.

"Just let me explain!" he begged, trying to looking sincere and desperate. That trick might've worked with some other girl, but Samantha was no ordinary girl. And he knew it. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to let his arrogance blind him to that fact.

"I said, **"Let me go!"**" she repeated, clenching her teeth.

"No! Not until you hear me...!"

"Get **off** me!" she yelled, before she seized his arm and flipped him, sending him crashing into the hard, tile floor of the popular coffeehouse. Everyone stopped and stared, some with mouths agape, as the young man groaned in pain and rolled onto his side, struggling to get up.

"Sam! What happened?!" April asked worriedly as she and the other girls hurried over to where the ninja princess was standing, breathing hard and looking a little frightened. "Who is that guy?"

"He's...an old ex-boyfriend," Samantha breathed, turning away and holding herself as best she could with the Frappuccino and croissant in her hands. "Can we get out of here? Please?"

"Sure, girl," Makayla answered gently, putting an arm around Samantha's shoulders and guiding her out of the restaurant. Olivia and April went next while Tonya brought up the rear.

"Samantha!" they heard the young man shout as he struggled to his feet.

"Come near her again, creep, and I'll knock you into the next **century**!" Tonya snarled, brandishing a fist at him. He seemed taken aback and didn't move as Tonya glared at him once more before storming out of the coffeehouse. His eyes narrowed and his teeth gritted together as he walked out of the coffee shop, blocking out the stares and giggles, and climbed onto a rooftop. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed across the darkening skies of the city. Chanting a spell, the ninja was soon arrayed in his red mask and battle suit, his wolverine claw on his hand and his two swords strapped across his back. His cape billowed behind him as he approached a dripping pipe and gathered some water droplets in his hand.

"Show me. Show me the one I seek!" he commanded, as the waters swirled into a mirror.

"Here is the one you seek," an eerie voice whispered. He could see Leonardo in a chamber talking to someone on the phone. And he looked angry.

"So, you've never seen this clown before in your life, Mac?" he inquired. He'd been worried when Makayla had called him, but now he was completely furious after she'd told him about what had happened at the coffee shop.

"No," Makayla replied. "Samantha said he's her ex-boyfriend, and with the way the creep was hitting on her, that sure fits an ex-boyfriend profile."

"Samantha never told me she had an ex-boyfriend!" Leo informed her, looking and sounding even more furious. But he wasn't angry at Samantha. He was angry with this creep who'd tried to pop back into her life after having done something terrible enough to lose her love. He didn't deserve a second chance from her!

"Easy, Leo! There's probably a good reason why she didn't. Especially if she knew you'd go and slice the guy into tiny cutlets with your katanas!"

"I wouldn't do that!" Leo protested. There was a short silence, and he smiled. "Alright. So maybe I would."

"Exactly. Don't worry. Tonya warned him off her. And our girl's not a famous warrior's daughter for nothing, you know! You should've seen how she flipped him right in front of everybody!"

"She did?! Wow. Wish I could've seen it! But she **is** alright, though, right? Raph doesn't have to start busting heads?"

"She's a little shook up. But she's holding it together. We're coming straight over since Caroline's only got half a day of school today. One of her teachers is sick and had to leave, so her afternoon classes are cancelled. We're on our way now to the middle school. And no. Neither Raph nor **you** nor Donny nor Mikey nor anybody has to go busting heads."

"OK. Just making sure. I'll see you girls soon." He hung up the phone and the ninja watched as he strolled off to another room. The ninja was beyond furious.

"She has betrayed me! And with **him**!" the Ultimate Ninja growled, his green eyes aflame with jealousy and anger."But I will get her back! Now find him!" the ninja commanded the spirit. "For his end is near!"

* * *

After sipping down her second Frappuccino, Samantha felt a little calmer as she, Tonya, Makayla, April, Olivia and Caroline all walked into the Lair.

"Hello?! Any mutant turtles or rats home?!" Olivia called.

"Is thatmy amazing Latin Princess I hear?!" Mikey asked, hurrying out from the kitchen into the area by the small lake. Olivia beamed.

"And this must be the incredible, strong and handsome Turtle Titan coming to greet me!" Olivia shot back, allowing Mikey to scoop her into his arms and kiss her breathless.

"God! Get a room!" Caroline groaned, covering her eyes. Samantha snickered, Makayla smiled and Tonya looked at her younger sister with bemusement. Samantha saw Don working on a hover craft nearby and quietly tiptoed over to where he was working, sneaking up behind him before throwing her arms around his neck.

"What's up, my turtle genius?" she whispered in his ear. Don smiled and turned around to face her, grabbing her to him and kissing her. She kissed him back before she pulled away a bit and simply smiled into his eyes.

"Just working on some of this new Utrom technology," Don told her. "These guys know how to make the most awesome things!"

"That they do, Einstein. That they do. Where're Raph and Leo?" she asked.

"Leo's upstairs in his room, and Raph's watching the news," Don answered. Samantha nodded and then headed off to the living room. She found Raph sitting on the couch watching the news, a sai out and being held tightly in his hand. Tonya, like a shadow, came up silently beside her and then walked past her to sit beside her hotheaded boyfriend.

"...This reporter can only hope that the current growing wave of gang violence is not the precursor of things to come," the male news anchor reported from his desk.

"Gah! I **hate** watching da news!" Raph snapped, tapping a sai against his left leg and changing the channel. "It's all bad! Dese gangs out dere banging heads! It **really** ticks me off!"

"Raph! **Everything** ticks **you** off!" chuckled Don from his workspace nearby.

"Not everything!" Raph retorted. Samantha and Tonya looked at each other before they both looked at Raph.

"Alright...everything," he confessed.

"I knew it," Tonya said, giving him a slight nudge. Just then, a loud _CRASH!_ came from the kitchen.

"Mikey! Could ya keep the cacophony down just a minute bit more!" Don scolded.

"We don't have caco-whatever, Donny!" Mikey replied, holding a huge bowl of popcorn in his hand. "But we do have popcorn! The golden kernel treasure! 'Cause it's Movie Night!"

"Yeah, Movie Night," Raph repeated as Mikey sat down in front of the TV. "And where is dat bonehead Casey Jones? He's supposed ta be bringing da flick!"

"Probably not the best idea to let **Casey** pick the flick," Don snickered as he settled into the armchair with Samantha perched on one of the arms for the moment. "No telling what we'll be watching tonight."

"Only the most spectacular, most goongola great movie that they re-made only a gazillion times!" Casey crowed, holding up the cassette from the entrance to the Lair. "And this, my friends, is the original. Just like me." Just then, a loose brick tripped him up and the cassette went flying out of his hand and into the air. "Oops. My bad."

"That's certainly an original Casey Jones trademark," Tonya muttered.

"Someone catch it!" Caroline shouted in panic. Just then, Samantha saw Leonardo slide down the banister and leapt off the edge, flying through the air, catching the cassette before doing a backflip and landing like a ninja in front of the TV.

"Let the movie...begin," Leo declared, pushing the cassette into the VCR before he sat down beside Master Splinter on the couch.

"Showoff!" Samantha muttered. Don gave her a slight nudge with his leg and, after she looked up at him, shook his head at her. She sighed and turned away again. She hadn't meant to call Leo a showoff. She was just still reeling from not only what'd happened in space between them, but also from her unfortunate run-in with the Ultimate Ninja (the young man who'd she met at Starbucks).

"Incoming!" Casey yelled before jumping over the back of the couch and landing beside April with a smile. April groaned and scooted away from him, but did she look a tad bit nervous around him? Samantha saw Casey rub the back of his head nervously. Classic sign that he liked her. Samantha smiled to herself as she leaned back against Don's legs and dug into the bowl of popcorn with Mikey.

"Hey bonehead! I can't believe ya picked a Western!" Raph snickered, smirking.

"Neither can I! This is _Rio Gato_!" April gushed excitedly. "I **love** this movie!"

"Me too! Isn't it great how dat punk kid challenges de old man?!" Casey stated excitedly.

"Just so the kid can make a name for himself?!" April continued, touching Casey's arm. Sam looked at Don, who looked down at her and the two exchanged smirks. "And isn't it great where...?!"

"Guys! Spoiler alert!" Makayla yelled. April and Casey immediately stopped talking.

"She's got a point," Leo seconded. "Can we just watch the movie instead? Please?"

"Sorry," Casey and April apologized before everyone settled down to watch the western play out. Samantha found herself thinking of the Ultimate Ninja a lot when she saw the young kid challenge the elderly sheriff to a duel just so that he could become famous and well-known. _He sounds just like him!_ she thought to herself bitterly.

"After I'm done with **you**, Sherriff, they'll know my name in every territory west of the Mississippi!" the young upstart declared. He was blond-haired and handsome, but Samantha was revolted by his desperation to make a name for himself. _He **really** reminds me of him!_ she thought in her mind. "Now...draw!"

"Look kid," the Sheriff reasoned. "Having people know your name isn't important. Fame and glory aren't worth fighting for."

"Enough talk, old man!" the young upstart scoffed. "I said, "Draw!" On the count o' three! One!" Samantha looked around and saw that the Turtles, her girlfriends, Master Splinter, and even April and Casey were all glued to the scene in front of them. She could feel the anticipation in the room as the young upstart said, "Two! Three!"

"I can't watch!" Makayla shouted, burying her face in Leo's shoulder. Samantha covered her eyes as well as the gunshot rang out and everyone gasped. Sam opened her eyes to see the young kid fall to the ground, dead. The Sheriff twirled his gun before holstering it and shaking his head sadly. The credits began rolling as the Sheriff walked into the sunset of the Wild West.

"Can I pick 'em or can I pick 'em?!" Casey declared, throwing his arms wide and smiling.

"Whoa!" Tonya breathed. "That was intense!"

"They sure don't make 'em like **that** anymore," Leo observed, smiling slightly.

"Tell me about it," Samantha agreed. "I've got goosebumps from all the suspense!"

"How cool was that Sheriff Bart guy!" Mikey crowed, blowing on his index finger like it was a smoking pistol. Olivia giggled.

"Yes. It was as if he was a samurai of the Old West," Master Splinter agreed.

"Well...is there anymore popcorn? I'm hungry," Caroline broke in. Mikey turned the bowl upside down. Empty.

"Aw man! Sorry Care! The popcorn's all gone!" Mikey groaned.

"I can't imagine where it all went, Mikey," Raph said sarcastically, earning snickers from Tonya and Sam.

"I was hungry!" Mikey retorted. "But now...I'm **really** hungry!"

"Then maybe it's time for...oh I don't know...**an ice-cream run**?!" Don suggested slyly. The girls and the Turtles all cheered and leapt to their feet. Samantha threw herself into Don's arms and allowed him to pick her up bridal-style, beaming.

"**This** is why I love having a genius for a boyfriend!" she squealed, kissing him on the lips.

"Boyfriend?! When'd **dat** happen?!" Casey asked in shock. Everyone stopped cheering and stared at him as if he'd asked what one plus one equaled to. Raph slapped a hand over his eyes.

"Casey. You are **such** a bonehead!" Raph groaned.

"Whatever, Raph!" Caroline exclaimed, jumping up and down. "I scream! You scream! We all scream for ice-cream!" Mikey seized her hands and started twirling her around, singing the chant with her.

"Hmm. It is too dangerous on the surface," Master Splinter reminded them. Mikey and Care stopped twirling. "The increased gang activity alone makes it ill-advisable to go."

"We'll be careful, Sensei," Leo told him.

"Promise," Samantha seconded, clasping her hands under her chin.

"I will accompany you to ensure you do not get into mischief," Master Splinter told them, standing up from the couch. Then, he smiled. "Besides, I am craving a double thick chocolate ice-cream shake!"

"Woohoo!" Olivia cheered. "C'mon everyone! Let's go get some ice-cream!"

* * *

Samantha walked out of the ice-cream parlor eating her large, cookies-n-cream ice-cream like she'd never eat it again for as long as she lived.

"This was an amazing idea!" Olivia crowed, taking a bite of her banana-split sundae with hot-fudge.

"Can't argue with that!" Tonya agreed, taking a bite of her triple chocolate ice-cream cone with peanuts.

"Sometimes I envy you having a genius as a boyfriend, Sam!" Makayla teased, taking a sip of her vanilla milkshake.

"Hey! You got the Fearless leader, remember?!" Samantha reminded her, elbowing her playfully. "Don't complain! Leo's a great catch!"

"Who says I'm complaining?!" Makayla chuckled, taking another sip of her milkshake. The girls all laughed as they, Casey and April came back to the Battle Shell.

"Alright boys. Who ordered the double banana split with caramel and almonds?" April asked.

"Me! Me!" Mikey screeched, waving his hand at April. She handed it to him and he dug in like a wolf. "I scream! You scream! We all scream for ice-cream!"

"You say that one more time, and I really **am** gonna scream!" Don chuckled as April and the others handed out the rest of the ice-cream. Samantha leaned against the Battle Shell and took another bite of her ice-cream.

"Samantha. Can we talk in private for a second?" Leo asked her, making her almost jump three feet in the air. She hadn't even noticed him approach her.

"Umm...I guess," she replied, looking at Makayla. Her friend turned and looked at her then at Leo. She nodded her head, as if she telepathically knew what Sam was trying to ask. The two walked to the side of the Battle Shell and Samantha leaned back against it once more.

"So, what's up?" she inquired.

"I need to talk to you about...well...about you and Don," Leo replied, looking down at his sundae. "But also...about...us."

"Us? What are you talking about, Leo?"

"You've been acting really distant from me since we came back from outer space. And I guess Don probably told you what happened with...the kiss."

"Yeah. He did."

"Samantha, I know you think that was your fault, but it wasn't. And this being distant isn't going to make everything right, either. I'm your Protector. You have to trust me. I want us to be close not just because I have a responsibility to protect you, but because this being distant with each other is completely ludicrous."

"But...I...I don't know how close I can get to you without people worrying about us."

"Worrying about us?"

"Yes. Makayla. Don. Olivia. Everyone in my life who matters to me. I don't want bad things to happen with them because of...mixed signals."

"We'll cross that bridge** if** we come to it, Samantha. But right now, I just want you to trust me not just as your Protector, but as your friend. I can't stand being so distant from you. It's tearing me apart." Samantha smiled. "What?" Leo asked.

"You sounded just like my father," she whispered. "He used to say that every time we had a bad fight." She bit down on her lower lip and looked down at her ice-cream, desperate to keep the tears from falling.

"I'm so sorry, Samantha," Leo said to her, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly. She hugged him back and then planted a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"I've **definitely** missed that part of our relationship," he chuckled. Samantha whacked him on the arm.

"God! Are all teenage mutant ninja turtles so hormonal?!" she asked, rolling her eyes playfully. Leo laughed and slung his arm around her shoulders.

"C'mon. Let's go see what the others are talking about," he said, and with an arm wrapped around his shell, the two friends went back to their family, unaware that someone was watching them.

* * *

The Ultimate Ninja was furious. How dare that ungrateful slut kiss that turtle! And the way he looked at her the entire time was enough to make him want to slice his throat! The turtle was clearly in love with the ninja princess. He watched them go back to the others, angry and furious at how loving and caring they looked in each other's arms.

"Hmm. Maybe...I can use their love to my advantage," the ninja chuckled. Silently, he took out the sharp, deadly marker and waited for Leonardo to turn his back.

* * *

Leo and Samantha came back, arm-in-arm, and joined the others, who were still discussing the movie. Samantha looked at Makayla, who smiled at her and then rested her head on Leo's shoulder while she drained the last few sips of her milkshake.

"I gotta admit: dat _Rio Gato _turned out ta be a great flick!" Raph exclaimed, eating a bite of his sundae. "One thing though: how did Sheriff Bart beat da kid when da kid obviously had da better skills?"

"I believe the young gunslinger fought only for fame and glory while the Sheriff fought to protect his friends and loved ones," Master Splinter explained, taking a bite of his own ice-cream. "Of course, possibly Sheriff Bart won because it was only a movie and needed a happy ending."

"Yea. Maybe," Raph said, not sounding fully convinced.

"I don't know," Don jumped in. "I mean...statistically, the odds are against him."

"Thanks for the stats, Brainiac!" Mikey groaned.

"Even statistics can be wrong in the Old West, Don," Samantha reminded him. "Maybe the Sheriff just got lucky."

"Yeah! But Sheriff Bart was pretty quick on that draw for an old guy!" Leo argued. "I mean he just...!" Just then, Leo turned around like lightning and caught a sharp-bladed marker between his palms, stopping it in its tracks.

"Leo!" Raph shouted.

"Watch your backs!" Leo warned them.

"Get behind me!" Casey ordered, herding April and the girls behind him. All except for Samantha, who immediately hurried over to Leo.

"Yeah! Right!" April muttered as she moved back. Olivia was holding Caroline close to her, the younger girl looking frightened out of her wits. Makayla kept a close grip on Tonya to ensure that she didn't go searching for the mysterious knife-thrower on her own.

"I have seen this marker before," Master Splinter realized, snatching it out of Leo's hands and inspecting it. _So have I, Sensei,_ Samantha thought in her mind bitterly. _And it's nothing but trouble!_ "Although not around here!"

"Think it's da Foot?! Are dey back?!" Raph demanded, growling as he took out his sais.

"It is not the Foot," Master Splinter told them. "It is a challenge. A marker for a duel. A duel until only one is left standing."

"Young warrior! The one called Leonardo!" called out a familiar voice. Samantha narrowed her eyes as she saw a figure wearing a red, demonic mask, wolverine claw and gold-and-violet battle armor emerge from the shadows. Two swords were strapped to his back. Samantha saw the green eyes staring hard at her through the mask. She knew whose face it hid, but what she didn't know was what he wanted. And that above all was scaring her.

"I have come to this dimension to battle Oroku Saki: The Shredder," the Ultimate Ninja declared. "But you stole that honor from me when you defeated the Shredder in combat. And so, for fame and glory, I must destroy **you** in his stead!" He held up the wolverine claw. "I challenge you, young warrior, to a duel!"

"Hold on, whackbag!" Raph snapped, stepping in between Leo and the Ultimate Ninja and drawing out his sais. "You mess with my brother, you mess with **me**!"

"You mess with **all** of us!" Casey seconded.

"You got that right!" Mikey agreed, taking out a nunchuck.

"Ditto!" Don added. Samantha's sword was out like lightning, and she pushed past Raph and put Leo behind her.

"If you want **him**, you'll have to go through **me** first!" Samantha growled, her wakizashi pointed directly at the masked ninja. He chuckled and looked at her with his green eyes.

"Still as feisty as ever, Samantha!" he observed, his eyes roving over her and his mind groaning at how lovely she was. "And just as beautiful as I remember too!"

"Sam?! Do you know this creep?!" Don asked, taking out his bo staff.

"Unfortunately, I do," Sam answered, glaring at the Ultimate Ninja.

"Dude! Don't you know it's rude to crash people's parties?!" Mikey admonished. The ninja ignored him, his eyes still fixed on the ninja girl.

"We were an unstoppable team, you and me, Samantha," the ninja told her silkily. "Just us against the world. We were perfect for each other."

"My father may have thought that about us, but **I** never did!" Samantha growled, narrowing her eyes.

"Samantha?! What's he talking about?" Don demanded. The ninja smirked at the turtle's ignorance.

"Go ahead, Samantha!" he chuckled. "Don't be so bashful! Introduce your little friends to your _konyakusha_!"

"_Konyakusha?_" Don repeated in confusion before a look of horror crossed his face."Your... **fiancé**?!"

"FIANCÉ?!" everyone else yelled in shock.

"**Ex-**fiancé," Samantha corrected. "It was an arranged marriage that my father broke off years ago."

"No thanks to your meddling!" the Ultimate Ninja snapped. "We could've been unstoppable together! But you have to go and ruin it!"

"You were selling information to my father's enemies. **Our** enemies!" Samantha snarled. "Because of you, that information led to my father being murdered by the Shredder and our academy destroyed by his Foot soldiers!"

"I would've rebuilt the academy! Continued your father's legacy! Loved **you**!"

"No! You wouldn't! The only person you've ever loved is yourself! All that ever mattered to you was having a name! Well, you got your wish. You have the blood of an innocent man on your hands! How's **that** for a name...**murderer**!"

"You couldn't trust me one bit, could you?"

"No. And all you've done now is re-affirm why I told my father that I could NEVER marry YOU!"

The Ultimate Ninja growled and then took out a pouch, dumping some green powder into his hand. He blew it at Samantha, who coughed and tried to see through the green mist . Suddenly, she felt something grip her leg. She tried to free herself, but she began to sink into the ground. She screamed as she saw a grayish puddle of water pulling her into the ground.

"SAMANTHA!" Leo and Don yelled, both of them rushing into the mist to grab her. But it was too late. She was gone. Raph and Casey immediately seized Don and held him back while Mikey and Master Splinter held on to Leo.

"Sammy! Sammy!" Olivia cried, holding Tonya back from pounding the Ultimate Ninja. Makayla held Caroline, who was sobbing uncontrollably.

"She's gone! She's gone, and we'll never see her again!" Caroline sobbed.

"Yes we will, Care," Makayla whispered soothingly to her. "We'll get her back."

"WHERE IS SHE?!" Don snarled at the Ultimate Ninja.

"Behold," the Ultimate Ninja said. Just then, the grayish puddle reappeared again and configured into a large sphere. Floating in the midst of it was Samantha, unconscious.

"Sam!" Don shouted. "What've you done to her?!"

"She is unconscious for the time being," the Ultimate Ninja replied. "But very much alive."

"You'd better give her back RIGHT NOW! Or else!" Tonya yelled, trying desperately to wrench herself free from Olivia's tight grip.

"Why would I give back what is mine?" the Ultimate Ninja chuckled.

"**I'm** gonna give you what's yours any second if you don't hand over my girlfriend, you masking-wearing stalker!" Don snarled.

"She's not yours, you mask-wearing freak!" Olivia shouted. "How dare you act like she's your property or something! She's a human being! God! Men can be so sexist sometimes!"

"I've had enough of dis!" Raph growled. "I say we all duel dis guy until he's black and blue!" The Ultimate Ninja fell silent for a moment before turning his gaze to the elderly rat.

"These are not the rules," the Ultimate Ninja said to Master Splinter.

"Yes. I know," the elderly rat sighed. Leo looked at Master Splinter in shock as the Ultimate Ninja bowed to their Sensei. Just then, the Ultimate Ninja took out a small spinning drum and held it between his hands. The two balls hit against the drum, and suddenly, it turned into a paddle. Then, a plastic-looking man wearing a blue robe appeared, holding the paddle in his right hand.

"Master Splinter! What **is** all this?!" Leo asked.

"A universal challenge match," Master Splinter replied, not taking his eyes off of the Ultimate Ninja. Just then, with a wave of the paddle, the friends and the Ultimate Ninja were surrounded by a blue cage.

"Hey! What's up with dis cage?!" Raph demanded, trying to slice his way out with his sais. Gyoji, the plastic-looking man, then directed the paddle at Samantha's cage. The young ninja princess woke up and immediately began trying to break free from the cage.

"If the warrior named Leonardo refuses the match, then the Princess's life is forfeit," Gyoji informed them.

"NO!" Don screamed, trying to break free from Raph and Casey.

"And if he accepts and loses, then **his** life is forfeit," the Ultimate Ninja added, the demonic face of the mask highlighted well by the coldness of his voice.

"You must...choose, my son," Master Splinter answered solemnly.

"Sensei, there is no choice," Leo answered. "I accept the challenge!"

"So noted! Challenge accepted." Gyoji replied as the Ultimate Ninja turned back to Samantha.

"One last chance, Samantha," he told her kindly. "You could come back with me to the palace. We could rebuild your father's academy, his legacy. I really **do** care for you. Just come back to me, my darling, beautiful, warrior princess. You've always had a place in my heart."

"You don't have a heart! You have a stone!" Samantha snapped angrily. "I'll never be with you, arranged marriage or free will! I know who I love, and it's not **you**!"

"Fine! Then watch, helpless and powerless, as your precious turtle is destroyed!" the Ultimate Ninja roared, turning his back on her.

"Duelists, prepare!" Gyoji announced as the Ultimate Ninja faced off against Leo.

"Soon, young warrior, you shall taste defeat!" the Ultimate Ninja declared.

"Master Splinter! What is going on?!" Don demanded. Samantha looked at Master Splinter, begging him to do something. He met her eyes and nodded.

"I will explain later. Now is not the time," he answered. "I demand a full observance," Master Splinter told Gyoji.

"Full observance accorded," Gyoji replied.

"A full observance?" the Ultimate Ninja repeated, looking a little shocked. But then, he shook it off. "I... fine, old one! Observe all you want! It will not change the outcome!" Then, he turned back to the ninja princess. "You will come and see this personally, my darling! I want you to see your young warrior broken and defeated!" Then, with a swirl of his purple cloak, he vanished.

"Warrior! Warrior!" an eerie voice whispered. "Prepare to meet your doom!" An evil laugh echoed all around them.

"Boy! He's a little overdramatic!" April observed drily.

"I wish **I** was da one fighting dat nutcase!" Raph growled as the others sheathed their weapons.

"I wish I knew what it is I'm supposed to do!" Leo snapped in frustration.

"You must face him in combat, my son," Master Splinter answered. "And...you must be careful. He will be a difficult opponent. But you have the skills. And mostly importantly: you have the heart to defeat him." Leo bowed to Master Splinter and then looked at Samantha in the sphere.

"Leonardo!" she called to him. He hurried over to her, gazing at her, trapped and being used as a bargaining chip by this masked nutcase.

"Don't worry, Samantha," he reassured her. "I'll rescue you. I promise."

"Please be careful," Samantha cautioned. "You **don't** know what he's capable of."

"And he doesn't know what **I'm** capable of either, Samantha," Leo fired back, smiling. The ninja princess smiled in return as Gyoji came and directed his paddle at a pool of water. It swirled and came underneath Leo, who sank into it before anyone could jump in and save him.

"Leo! Leo!" Raph shouted. And that was the last thing Samantha heard before the others vanished right before her eyes, and she was surrounded by nothing but dark skies. She looked to her right and saw the Moon shining bright as a polished coin. She looked down and saw the Ultimate Ninja standing right behind Leonardo, who seemed unaware of his challenger's presence.

"Leo! Look out!" she screamed, but he couldn't hear her. The sphere must've blocked out sound. She watched as Leo took on her ex-fiancé in hand-to-hand combat before the Ultimate Ninja kicked Leo hard into a lamppost. Then, he took out a kusarigama-like weapon and threw the chain at Leo, who wasn't moving.

"Leo! Get out of the way!" she shouted. He dodged it just in time and blocked subsequent hits with his katanas. The chain then wrapped around his katanas, but Leo jerked the chain hard, causing the ninja to come flying towards him before Leo leapt into the air and kicked him hard into a tree. Then, he looped the chain off his katanas and threw it into a nearby trash can.

"Stylish and effective! That's my Protector!" Samantha said, smiling as she watched the Ultimate Ninja leap onto a truck with Leo in hot pursuit. He easily caught up to him and leapt onto the truck, drawing his katana blades and facing off with the Ultimate Ninja. Leo looked to have the upper hand until Sam saw her ex use his mystical powers to get behind Leo and almost kick him off the truck. But she smiled when she saw him use his own rope against him to swing back on and kick the Ultimate Ninja off.

"The bridge," she observed as the two duelists leaped along the cables to the top. The faceoff began not too well for Leo, but as he grabbed the wolverine claw from the ninja, she saw that things might be changing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mikey and others in their dome nearby. She turned back to the battle just in time to see the Ultimate Ninja blow the same, green powder he'd used on her into Leo's face, causing him to cough and stumble around in the green mist.

"You rotten, dishonorable cheat!" Sam yelled. But it was too late. Once, twice, three times, the ninja struck Leo hard, pushing him back to the edge of the top of the bridge. The ninja princess bit her lip as she watched the ninja deliver the final hit that sent Leo tumbling over the edge.

"LEO!" his brothers yelled.

"My son!" Master Splinter cried. The Ultimate Ninja laughed triumphantly. Samantha saw that Leo had managed to grab onto one of the cables. Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one who noticed. The Ultimate Ninja slid down the cables and sliced into the ones Leo was grasping. Samantha's breath caught in her throat as she watched her Protector dangling helpless from a cable above the waters of the Hudson River. The ninja's eyes gleamed with delight and malice as he sliced his swords through the final cable, sending the turtle plummeting to his death. But as he fell, Leo heard the voice of a ninja princess trapped in a sphere, watching helplessly as her Protector plummeted towards the river.

"LEO! NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Samantha?! I can't fail her!" Leo growled before he put on the wolverine claw and jammed it into the cement foundation of the bridge. He stopped not a moment too soon.

"Whew! I have **got** to get me a pair of these!" he chuckled as he began climbing up to the top of the bridge to defeat his opponent and save the girl he'd been chosen to protect.

* * *

The Ultimate Ninja laughed in triumph, hands wide to the skies of the city.

"He is finished! I have won!" he crowed. "I am the ultimate warrior on this planet! With this victory, my fame and glory grows! Soon, **all** will know my name! I am the ultimate ninja!" Then, he walked towards the trapped Samantha, who floated downwards to him on his command.

"And you, my dearest princess, will be my queen," he told her. "Now, you belong to **me**!"

"You monster!" she hissed. "I will **never** belong to you! Your dishonorable actions will be the end of you yet! I promise you this as the daughter of the great warrior Bushido!"

"HA! Not even your precious father can touch me now!" the Ultimate Ninja declared. "I am greater than he is! And my fame and glory surpass his by miles!"

"How dare you!" Samantha snarled, leaping towards him to strangle him, but was met with the hardness of her prison.

"Just wait, pal!" Raph growled. "And I'll give ya all da fame and glory you can handle!"

"Hang on there, Raph!" a familiar voice declared. "I'm not finished with him yet!" Samantha turned and saw Leo, alive and well, silhouetted against the light of the Moon, the wolverine claw on his hand. Her heart felt like it would burst from her chest, so happy she was that Leo was alive.

"WHAT?! It...it can't be!" the Ultimate Ninja shouted in shock.

"It **can** be! And **it is**!" Leo shot back. "Let's you and me finish this...NOW!" His family and friends cheering for him, the battle recommenced. And as Samantha watched Leo counter every trick of her ex, she knew that the tide had changed and was now favoring her Protector. Kicking the ninja so hard that his mask flew off him, Leo tossed off the wolverine claw and battled the ninja hand-to-hand.

"C'mon, Leo," she muttered, watching as the Ultimate Ninja took out his swords. Leo dodged the hit, kicking him from behind and snatching his swords. Crossing them, he stuck them in the ground at the ninja's neck, forming an "X". Samantha's jaw dropped, and she smiled. He'd done it. He'd won.

"You lose!" Leo whispered to his opponent.

"No! I cannot lose! I **cannot**!" the Ultimate Ninja growled.

"Sorry. You just did," Leo reminded him. "But...you fought well. It's OK," he added, winking. Samantha shook her head, smiling. That Leo.

"I do not believe it. I...surrender," the ninja declared. She watched as Leo took up the swords and tossed them towards the cage where his family and the girls were.

"Winner: Leonardo," Gyoji announced, shaking the paddle and causing the sphere to disappear. Barely had the sphere vanished before Makayla and the others rushed towards Leo, hugging him and patting him on the head.

"The Princess is unharmed and shall be freed," Gyoji continued as he directed the sphere holding Samantha over to the group. It vanished and she fell through the air and right into Leo's outstretched arms. Her arms were around his neck, and he was holding her bridal style.

"We've gotta stop meeting like this," she joked.

"I don't know. I think I could get used to rescuing the beautiful princess from evil," Leo teased. She hit him lightly in the head before planting a kiss on his forehead.

"Well...I suppose I wouldn't mind being rescued once in a while," she said quietly. Leo smiled at that before he put her down and she threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. Just then, she saw Master Splinter approaching and stepped aside respectfully.

"My son. I am so proud," Master Splinter told him before hugging Leo. The others all crowded around them, hugging their champion. Just then, the roar of a dragon made them turn around. Rising from a green mist was a fanged dragon heading straight at them. But just then, the dragon was sliced in half and fell to the ground.

"OK? Who slew the dragon?" Makayla inquired. Her question was answered by the mist parting to reveal a tall figure wearing royal robes and a great, golden mask over his face. His hair was white, and he held a great sword in his hands.

"Your Highness!" Gyoji said reverently, bowing his head. The Ultimate Ninja too bowed to this mysterious man who Samantha instantly recognized as the Damiyo.

"To use such dark arts in defeat! Not only would you disgrace yourself but you would disgrace **me**, your own **father** with your lack of honor!" the Damiyo growled fiercely. "You have not earned this combat! Yet you have the audacity to attempt to make a name for yourself in such a manner!" Then, he turned to Master Splinter. "Splinter-san, you have trained your students well," he said in a much kinder, gentler tone. "I salute you." The rat bowed back.

"You have fought well, young one. And won honorably," the Damiyo said to Leo, who smiled. "I return to you your katanas." There was a bright flash of green light and then Leo's katanas appeared and floated over to the ninja turtle, who grabbed them and then bowed to the Damiyo, who bowed as well.

"Once, many generations ago, we visited this dimension," the Damiyo informed them. "The people here took us to be goblins, _tengu_. But we endowed a chosen few with the first gifts of the art of ninjitsu. You have carried that tradition well. Better even than my son. " Then, he turned to Samantha.

"The Heads have chosen well, Princess," he told her, bowing. She bowed respectfully in return.

"They have indeed, honorable Damiyo-san," Samantha answered, smiling at Leonardo. "I knew that from the first time I met him." Leo blushed and ducked his head.

"Come!" the Damiyo commanded Gyoji. "We go home!" There was a flash of bright light, and the Damiyo, Gyoji and the Ultimate Ninja sunk into the ground and disappeared.

"My son. You have made us all proud," Master Splinter said to Leo, smiling proudly at his eldest son. "Come. Let us also go home." The small group began walking towards the cables of the bridge when Makayla grabbed Leo's hand and stopped him.

"I'm **really** glad you're OK," she whispered to him. Leo smiled and kissed her hand.

"Me too," he chuckled. Makayla took a step closer to him, her eyes never leaving his.

"No. I really mean that," she repeated seriously. "I...I thought I lost you."

"You'll **never** lose me, Makayla Norris," Leo vowed, pulling her into his arms and holding her close. "I promise. I'll **always** be here for you. Makayla, I...I think...no. I...I know that I..." She put a finger to his lips and stopped him from saying anything else.

"Leo. Stop talking," she whispered, leaning in towards him. He leaned as well and met her mouth in a kiss. Just then, the two heard clapping, whistling and cheering and immediately broke apart, blushing. Leo looked up first and saw Master Splinter smiling and then gave his son a wink and a thumbs-up. The others were all just smiling.

"It seems we have an audience," Makayla muttered.

"I don't care," Leo said, before he pulled her back into his arms and kissed her deeply.

"Ugh! Can't you people get a room?! Thirteen year old standing **right here**!" Caroline groaned, covering her eyes.

"Oh quit being like that, Care!" Samantha admonished playfully, smiling at the couple. "In a few years, that might be you and some guy that you fall in love with."

"Then I'm joining a convent," Caroline replied, causing a burst of laughter to erupt from her sister and her friends.

* * *

"You girls sure you'll be alright here?" Leo asked them. The four Turtles had left Master Splinter in the Battle Shell while they saw to the girls' comfort. Casey and April had already been dropped off. Then they'd driven to Samantha's house and were watching as the girls all congregated on Samantha's bed.

"We'll be fine, you guys," Olivia reassured them.

"You sure, 'Liv? 'Cause we can stay the night if you girls you want," Mikey offered.

"Sorry guys. GNO night," Samantha informed them. The four brothers looked confused. "Girls Night Only. No boys, human or mutant, allowed." Raph looked like he was about to say something, but Leo nudged him and shook his head. There was no use arguing with Samantha. She was stubborn and hardheaded.

"Alright. But we'll be by to pick you girls up in the morning to head to the farmhouse, OK?" Leo reminded them.

"Awesome! I can't wait!" Makayla cheered, smiling at her boyfriend. Leo turned red and looked away, but a smile was on his face.

"Me neither," Tonya seconded, laying out on Sam's bed. "Getting away from my pain-in-the-ass-cousin for a bit sounds like the perfect plan."

"What's up with Quincy anyways?" Caroline prodded. "He's acting a bit more...squirrely."

"Maybe it's stress," Raph suggested. "I wouldn't worry 'bout it too much, Tonya. He'll get over it."

"I guess you're right," Tonya sighed, running a hand through her red hair.

"I **know** I'm right, baby," Raph replied, smirking before he kissed her, running his hands along her sides as she lay on her back, kissing him fiercely.

"God! How many times must I be scarred for life?!" Caroline shouted, diving under the covers to hide. Raph and Tonya broke up, snickered, and then Raph was gone out the balcony doors, followed by his brothers after kissing their girlfriends goodnight. Samantha crossed over to the doors and shut them, locking them tightly.

"So...think we've seen the last of the Ultimate Ninja?" Olivia inquired.

"Someone that obsessed doesn't give up easily," Tonya reminded them gravely.

"Well...whatever happens, we'll be ready for it," Samantha told her girlfriends firmly.

"Geez, Sammy! Leo's really rubbing off on you!" Olivia teased. Samantha scoffed and hit Olivia with a pillow.

"Get off my case, 'Liv! Besides... **I** wasn't the one he kissed in front of his entire family, including his father," Sam said, smirking at Makayla, who blushed and buried her face in her hands. Tonya and Olivia soon joined in playfully teasing their friend while Caroline hurried out of the room to "keep her young mind intact from all the romantic crap that was going on around her". Soon, all three girls had fallen asleep on Samantha's bed save the ninja princess. She was worried and happy at the same time. The Ultimate Ninja would now undoubtedly want revenge on both her **and** Leo, which worried her. But on the other hand, she was happy that not only Makayla and Leo seemed to be falling more in love with each other, but that for once, everything between the three of them felt normal. Smiling, Samantha allowed herself to lay her head down on her pillow and allow a sweet, dream-filled sleep to flood over her.

**Me: Congrats, Leo! *hugs Leo* You showed that masked creep who's boss!**

**Leo: Aww, thanks Livangel16. I couldn't have done it without my favorite author! *hugs me back***

**Don: Leo the suck-up strikes again!**

**Raph: I second dat motion!**

**tmnt-Michelangelo fangirl: Hello?! Any mutant turtles home?!**

**Me: Funny how they always miss mentioning the great author!**

**Don: Don't worry about it, 'Liv. They acknowledge you with their reviews and their PMs telling you to keep up the awesome job!**

**Me: Very true, Donnie. Hey! We're over here!**

**tmnt-Michelangelo girl: Hey everyone! I'm tmnt-Michelangelo fangirl!**

**Leo: Nice to meet you, I'm sure. Mikey! You've got a visiting fan!**

**Raph: Yeah! Get yer shell out here, Shell for Brains!**

**Mikey: I have a visiting fan?! *sees tmnt-Michelangelo fangirl* Wow! She's HOT! I'm Mikey, dudette!**

**tmnt-Michelangelo fangirl: OMG! It's REALLY YOU! *squeals* I love everything about you! You're funny, sweet, caring and CUTE! And I LOVE Turtle Titan!**

**Mikey: Well...do you wanna go on patrol with me?**

**tmnt-Michelangelo fangirl: DO I EVER! *Mikey dresses her in Catwoman costume and the two go out and stop a robbery and a mugging. Return later looking excited and tired.* THAT was INCREDIBLE! You're an amazing hero Mikey!**

**Mikey: Well, I _am_ Turtle Titan! Not to mention the BATTLE NEXUS CHAMPION!**

**Leo: Here we go AGAIN with that!**

**Raph: Someone got a sock or something we can shove in his mouth ta shut him up?!**

**Don: Maybe if we let him go on long enough, he'll lose his voice!**

**tmnt-Michelangelo fangirl: Lay off my turtle, you guys! I'll see you later, Livangel16! Bye everyone!**

**Don, Leo and Raph: See ya!**

**Mikey: Please come back more often, tmnt-Michelangelo fangirl! I mean it! *tmnt-Michelangelo fangirl blushes and leaves in a hurry***

**Raph: So, nobody's come ta visit Donny yet! **

**Don: Eh, that doesn't really matter to me anymore.**

**Leo: Sure it doesn't Donny!**

**Me: Yeah right!**

**Don: I'm serious! *holds up sign to audience that says: PLEASE VISIT ME!***

**Yay! Next chapter, there's gonna be a bit of a twist coming in with "Reflections", but it's a good one, so stay tuned for chapter 49! So, please review, review, review as they are what inspire the Muses, who in turn, inspire me to write such awesome chapters. So, please review and tell your friends and readers about this story guys! Thanks! And for those of my amazing readers who live in Canada like your truly, Happy Thanksgiving! God bless you and your families! Cheers! :)**

**-Livangel16**


	49. Chapter 49

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**I'M ALIVE! So, first, I must say that I am SO SORRY for leaving this story for so long! School got really busy, and I've needed to focus on my work! But thanks to all my lovely reviewers: grapejuice101, pokemonjkl, Aster Sapphire, Manderssxx, IceColdFever, ****flamedragon242, bookworm208, TMNTfan95, Kimmie98, RAHELA, ninja-warrior101, mchap1154, Mayu123, Pink Lightspeed Ranger, IAmTheDragonEmpress, Josh Haner, White Fairy Writer, Pokie4Life, cook563, missymousemonster, bell-13-tmnt-lover and WolfAssassin369! You guys are all amazing! Seriously, I can't say THANK YOU enough times to cover it! So, we're almost to chapter 50, everyone! Yay! So excited! So...this chapter's very long, but I hope that you all still love it. I'll try to get the 50th chapter up on Friday! So...without any further delays, enjoy this chapter! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Forty-Nine

Samantha leaned back against the metal of the trailer, smiling as she felt Don's hand playing in her hair. When Leo had said "early", he'd meant it. Samantha felt as though she'd just finished packing her bags when the Battle Shell cruised onto the side street and Mikey was giving her and the girls their morning wake-up call. Then, she'd had to keep a fight from breaking out about who got to use her private bathroom first. After four stops to the girls' various homes, they were finally on their way to Northampton. Samantha had told their parents (well Makayla's dad and Olivia's mother really) that her Uncle Kenji had arranged for them and April O'Neil to stay at a resort north of the city so that his niece and Ms. O'Neil could deal with their recent trauma from the explosion at Second Time Around. After reassuring their parents that their schoolwork wouldn't suffer, Makayla's father and Olivia's mother gave their consent.

"You're gonna **seriously** love the lake, dudette!" Mikey told Olivia as the trailer and the pickup truck wound its way through the curves of the interstate highway. "It's huge! With a beach and a tire swing! It's awesome!"

"Sounds like a lot of fun, Mikester," Olivia replied, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Maybe we can build a bonfire too."

"Yeah! And roast marshmallows!" Makayla added.

"And make s'mores!" Caroline squealed excitedly.

"And train," Master Splinter slipped in, smiling and causing Samantha and the Turtles to groan.

"Master Splinter. **Please** tell me you're joking!" Samantha begged.

"I don't think he was, Sam," Don whispered to her, looping an arm around her shoulders. She let out a sigh of frustration before flopping down onto her boyfriend's lap, lying across his outstretched legs. His hand was busily combing through her hair while she scrolled through Tonya's IPod for songs to play to pass the time.

"We **have** been training hard for a good while, Sensei," Leo jumped in. His hand was intertwined with Makayla's, who was also resting her head against his plastron. Samantha smiled at the two of them. They'd been a lot less shy about their feelings since their kiss on the bridge last night after Leo had creamed Samantha's ex-fiancé, the Ultimate Ninja, in a universal duel to the death.

"I suppose you all have earned some relaxation," Master Splinter thought aloud. The Turtles whooped and cheered and high-threed, but Samantha couldn't help but notice a strange glint in Master Splinter's eye when he'd said it. That rat was a lot cleverer than people thought he was. Relaxation to him was probably a whole different concept than it was to his sons and her.

"We should **totally** have a dance party when we get up to the farmhouse!" Mikey suggested excitedly.

"Why?" Raph inquired pointedly. "So you can show in front of yer girlfriend?" Tonya scowled and hit him lightly on the shoulder, giving him a hard look when he turned to her, rubbing his "injury".

"Speaking of dancing," Tonya said, taking out a piece of paper from her back pocket. "Check out what I found on my apartment complex's lobby board." Raphael snatched the paper out of her hand and stared at it for a moment before Don leaned in and stealthily grabbed it from him.

"Lemme see that!" Don told him, scanning the paper. Then, Samantha tried to reach for it, but Don smiled and held it out of her reach.

"I wanna see it!" she exclaimed, reaching out for it. But Don dodged her attempt again.

"Just a second, baby," he chuckled. "I wanna see what this is all about first." Sam smirked and then pressed her lips to his, causing Don's eyes to roll back in his head as he kissed her back.

"Gross!" Caroline yelped, burying her face in her hands.

"Get a room, you two!" Leo joked, earning a playful elbow in the side from Makayla.

Don's grip on the paper loosened and the young, ninja princess quickly snatched it from his limp hand and pulled away from the kiss just as Don figured out that he'd been tricked.

"Thanks, my turtle genius," she giggled, turning away and resting over his legs again to look at her prize.

"You've been played, bro!" Mikey cackled. "She took you in and then totally fooled ya!"

"I'll get you back for that, Sam," Don whispered, combing through her hair and silently plotting his revenge on his girlfriend. Samantha rolled her eyes and smiled, both at having been triumphant and knowing that Donatello would never actually do anything to her. He was too much of a pacifist.

"H.P.Z. Radio presents "Battle Dance XIX", NYC's biggest dance competition of the season this coming May 27th," Samantha read aloud, to the wide-eyed expressions of Makayla and Olivia. "Open to any group of four between the ages of 17-23 with a grand prize of **$50,000** for the winning crew."

"**Fifty thousand dollars**?!" Mikey repeated in shock. Everyone's jaws were wide open and on the ground. Raph whistled.

"Now **dat's** a lotta dough!" he exclaimed, looking completely stunned by the grand prize amount.

"Not only that, but the winning crew also gets to be in a worldwide-broadcasted music video with Patricia "Sweet P" Longmore," Samantha continued.

"You mean the hip-hop singer?! I **love** her songs!" Olivia squealed.

"You four should make a dance crew and compete," Leo suggested.

"That's a great idea!" Mikey seconded.

"Wrong! That's a bad idea!" Tonya countered.

"Why Tonya?" Olivia inquired.

"Because you have to audition to get in the competition," Tonya informed them, causing Sam to look down at the flyer again. Tonya was right. Auditions were necessary to determine the top five crews that would square off in the nationwide televised contest in May. "All those professional teen and college dance crews are gonna be in this. The judges would **never** pick us."

"You cannot see yourself as defeated before you have even begun the task at hand, my child," Master Splinter intoned wisely. "A wise man takes the chance and goes for what his heart desires even though the outcome is uncertain."

"Master Splinter's right," Leo agreed. "Besides, you guys can start practicing while we're up at the farmhouse. When are the auditions?"

"March 25th," Samantha answered, looking down again at the flyer.

"And it's March 5th today," Leo continued. "You girls have three weeks to get together an awesome audition dance and then another two months to prepare your dance for the competition."

"**If** we get in that is," Tonya reminded them grimly.

"What's with you, Tonya?" Olivia asked, sounding partially concerned and partially frustrated. "I mean, you've been moody and pessimistic since last night. Is everything alright?"

"Well, our cousin is..." Caroline began to explain, but with one, fierce glare from her old sister, the young teenager immediately clammed up. Samantha turned and exchanged looks with Don. He nodded, signaling that he was also noticing that something was seriously bugging Tonya.

"It's just trying to plan Care's fourteen birthday party is all," Tonya said firmly, massaging her temples. Then, she smirked. "You have **no** idea how hard she is to plan for!"

"Hey! I'm right here ya know!" Caroline shot back, frowning and crossing her arms over her chest before sending her sister a playful glare.

"Plus my cousin's getting on my nerves with his constant text messages," Tonya added, looking down at her phone. Raphael tried to peer over her shoulder to read the latest text, but she turned it off before he could even see one word of it.

"What's he want?" Raph inquired.

"Well...it's nothing, really."

"If it's bugging ya dat much babe, den it ain't nothing."

"It **is **nothing! Just drop it!"

"Tonya, ya need to...!"

"What part of "just drop it" do you **not** understand, Raphael?!"

"I can't believe you have this song, Tonya!" Sam exclaimed, pressing Play and then inserting the IPod back into its dock with speakers. She had to jump in and kill this argument before it got any worse. A driving, discotheque beat filled the trailer as a very familiar song began playing through the speakers.

_Turn up the music  
Let´s get out on the floor  
I like to move it  
Come and give me some more..._

"No way!" Olivia screeched. "Cascada?! This is awesome!"

"Turn it up! Turn it up!" Makayla demanded, bouncing from her place beside Leo. Leo turned and stared at Samantha, searching for an explanation as to why Makayla was acting so excited all of a sudden. She shrugged as if to say, _Hey. She's **your** girlfriend. I don't have the answer._ Then, she used her thumb to increase the volume of the song.

_Watch me getting physical  
Out of control,  
There's people watching me,  
I never miss a beat_

_Still the night, kill the lights  
Feel it under your skin  
Time is right, keep it tight  
'Cause it's pulling you in_

Wrap it up you can't stop  
'Cause it feels like an overdose  
(feels like an overdose)

"Evacuate the dance floor! I'm infected by the sound! Stop this beat is killing me! Hey Mr. DJ let the music take me underground!" Samantha, Olivia, Tonya and Makayla all sang. Caroline just stared at them like they all belonged in a mental hospital. But Mikey bopped his head along to the driving techno beat and then joined in with them singing the chorus again and then continued to sing with them.

_Oh, oh  
Evacuate the dance floor  
Oh, oh  
I'm infected by the sound  
(Everybody in the club)  
Oh, oh  
Stop this beat is killing me  
Hey Mr. DJ come burn this place right down to the ground_

_My body's aching  
System overload  
Temperature's rising  
I'm about to explode_

Watch me I'm intoxicated  
Taking the show, Ah  
It`s got me hypnotized, Ah  
Everybody step aside

Still the night, kill the lights  
Feel it under your skin  
Time is right, keep it tight  
'Cause it's pulling you in

Wrap it up you can't stop  
'Cause it feels like an overdose  
(feels like an overdose)

"Evacuate the dance floor! I'm infected by the sound! Stop this beat is killing me! Hey Mr. DJ let the music take me underground!" the girls and Mikey sang again. Then, Don began singing the lyrics along with them. Then Raph. And finally Leo joined in. Master Splinter watched his children and their friends bopping their heads to the discotheque beat and singing the lyrics with a bemused expression on his face. Just then, Caroline jumped in and did an amazing imitation of the spoken portion in the same robotic voice as the one that was playing in the track.

_Come on and evacuate  
Feel the club is heating up  
Move on and accelerate  
Push it to the top  
Come on and evacuate  
Feel the club is heating up  
Move on and accelerate  
You don't have to be afraid_

"Yea, Caroline!" Samantha hooted, pumping her fist in the air. Just then, Mikey took out a baseball cap and placed it on his head backwards, then posed like a rapper and began rapping along with the rapper in the song.

_Now guess who's back with a brand new track  
They got everybody in the club going mad  
So everybody in the back  
Get your back up off the wall and just shake that thang_

"Go Mikey! Go Mikey!" Olivia chanted, laughing and grinning as she watched her boyfriend bopping his head and bouncing like he was in a rap video. Slowly everyone, including Master Splinter, began chanting, "Go Mikey! Go Mikey!", encouraging the goofball further.

_Go crazy  
Yo lady  
Yo baby  
Let me see you wreck that thang  
Now drop it down low, low  
Let me see you take it to the dance floor, yo!_

Finishing with throwing his hands up in the air with two peace signs on his hands, Mikey was greeted with a round of applause and a rewarding kiss from Olivia before Samantha took to singing the lines which Cascada was singing in the song.

_Everybody in the club  
(Evacuate the dance floor)  
Everybody in the club  
(I'm infected by the sound)  
Everybody in the club  
(Stop this beat is killing me)  
Hey Mr. DJ let the music take me underground_

The Turtles and the girls continued singing the chorus over and over again until the song ended. Whooping and cheering, everyone eagerly awaited the next track.

"Hey! You guys having a party without us?!" Casey asked, looking back through a slot in the trailer. His voice was tinged with mock shock.

"Casey!" April shouted, before the trailer swung to the right. It was obvious that April had had to take the wheel for a moment.

"Whoops! Sorry babe!" Casey apologized.

"How many times have I told you?! **Don't** call me babe!" April snapped, rolling her eyes. The door over the slot closed again, and then the group burst out laughing.

"Dat Casey! What a bonehead!" Raph chuckled. Everyone laughed in agreement as the next song came on and the eight friends and the ninjitsu rat master jammed out to the songs on a small IPod in a metal trailer hitched up to a pickup truck, heading to a farmhouse in Northampton for some rest and relaxation.

* * *

"We're here!" Casey announced. The truck and trailer came to a stop and Don threw open the doors to the trailer. Stepping out, Leo went next and the two of them helped the girls down from out of the trailer.

"Don! Leo! This is so sweet!" Samantha observed, smiling at the techno genius and then the leader of the four. "And who said chivalry's dead!"

"Not me," Makayla stated before pulling Leo into a sweet, passionate kiss which he happily returned, gripping her waist tightly in his hands, his lips brushing fiercely over his girlfriend's.

"God Mac! Get a friggin' room!" Caroline snapped, hiding her face from the couple.

"Watch your language, Care!" Tonya ordered, glaring at her younger sister.

"Yer talking, Tonya?" Raph asked incredulously. "Ya swear more dan a drunk sailor!"

"And **you** have a right to be talking, Raphael?!" Tonya demanded, fixing her glare on her boyfriend. Raph just glared back at her, but she yielded no ground. And finally, Raph had to turn his face away. Samantha and Don exchanged looks again and then nodded at the same time. Whatever was bugging Tonya, it was enough to intimidate Raph. And **that** wasn't easy for anyone to do.

"The light! It burns!" Mikey shrieked, covering his eyes with one hand. Raph gave him a hard shove, growling about idiots yelling for no reason.

"It's so big!" Olivia breathed, gazing at the farmhouse with the adjacent barn. "I love it!"

"We came up here and fixed it up a bit more," Casey said proudly. "I gotta say though: Grandma sure knew how to keep a place."

"Which way's the beach?" Makayla inquired, striding up to the group, her hand and Leo's intertwined. Samantha felt a smile come to her face even as she felt a small pang come to her heart.

"We'll take you girls there," Leo offered.

"You guys go on ahead," Tonya told them. "You too, Care. I need to talk to Raphael for a minute." Raph looked shocked and surprised by this sudden mood swing, but he nodded nevertheless. Samantha, Makayla, Caroline, Olivia and the three Turtles then made their way through the dense woods on a dirt path. Samantha quickly turned and looked to see Tonya and Raph heading towards the barn, Tonya's face looking both grim and worried. Then, the tree line hid the farmhouse from sight and everything vanished from sight.

Caroline was in awe at the beauty of the trees and flowers that were beginning to blossom and flourish in this unusually warm spring. Olivia and Mikey were arguing about which superhero was the best : Superman or Spiderman. Leo was talking to Makayla about the latest samurai movie that'd come out in theatres. And Don and Samantha were unusually silent.

"So...it's kind of weird being back here, isn't it?" Don finally asked his girlfriend. Samantha stared at him in confusion for a moment before realizing what he meant. This was their first time back at the farmhouse since their flight from New York and her attempted suicide. Samantha wondered if the bathroom mirror and floors had been cleaned or if she would still find traces of her own spilt blood in the room where, in a fit of depression and believing that she'd lost Don's love and the love of her family, both past and present, that she'd decided to take her own life.

"Yeah," she answered quietly. "I guess it is. But it feels a lot different than last time too."

"Really? How so?" Don questioned. Samantha smiled and wrapped her arms around Don's neck, pulling him close to her.

"I know that I have an amazing boyfriend who loves me and will never let me go, no matter what," she whispered to him. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, brushing a stray hair back from her face and allowing his fingers to delicately and sensually brush against the skin of her face.

"And I have a girlfriend who's everything I've ever prayed for and more," Don told her. Before Samantha could say another word, her mouth was otherwise occupied by a loving, passionate kiss which she gladly and wholeheartedly returned. For a few, precious moments, she felt as though she'd gone to heaven. Then, a pointed cough interrupted the romantic moment between the two. They turned to see Leo, Mikey, Olivia and Makayla smirking at them. Caroline had, of course, buried her face in her hands to shield her eyes.

"As much as we hate to interrupt your little makeout session," Mikey snickered, "we're almost to the lake."

"Right," Don said, stepping away from Sam with his cheeks burning red with a blush. Gently taking the young woman's hand in his own, Don and the others continued down the dirt path, finally emerging at the mouth of a wide stretch of sandy beach that lay beside a wide, clear-blue lake. The waters twinkled in the warm, March sunshine and a slight breeze came wafting off of it, filling Samantha's lungs and nostrils with a calming, soothing air of tranquility and peace.

"Wow! It's so...cool!" Caroline exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at the lake. Samantha smiled. Caroline sounded like a child on Christmas morning.

"C'mon dudettes! I'll show you the tire swing and the diving board!" Mikey told Olivia and Caroline, hurrying off down the eastern shores of the beach towards a small hill where an old, oak tree sat with a tire swing dangling off of a sturdy branch.

"So, what do you think?" Leo inquired, turning to Makayla.

"It's beautiful," Makayla breathed as the four remaining friends stepped onto the glorious sand of the beach. "I mean, I've seen beaches before back home, but this...this is like an oasis of peace in the midst of an urban desert of chaos."

"I didn't know you have a poetic side to you, Mac," Leo said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She smiled and gave him a playful hit to his arm.

"You never asked," she giggled. "But yes, the Muses do come and whisper sweet songs and poems in my ears. When I'm willing to listen."

"I whisper sweet things in your ear. Does that make **me** one of your Muses?" Makayla smiled and then whispered something to Leo which, a second later, caused him to laugh as Makayla rested her head against his plastron and the two walked in the direction Mikey, Olivia and Caroline had gone, Don and Samantha following in their wake.

"They look so happy together now," Samantha observed, smiling warmly at her best friend and Leo.

"Yeah," Don agreed. "I've never seen Leo so relaxed and carefree. It's not like him at all. Which is good. For all of us, I mean. Not just him. Now he's got someone to care for and cherish aside from us, Master Splinter and...you."

"Yeah. I...wait a second! Donny! Don't tell me you're still thinking that he and I...?!"

"No! Nothing like that. It's just...it's really nice to see him happy, and I think he really likes her."

"**I** think he **loves** her," Samantha countered, smiling and resting her head on Don's shoulder. She sighed lightly when she felt his arm wrap around her waist and closed her eyes, reveling in the bliss and calm she was experiencing. Up at the farmhouse, on this beach, the entire world and its problems disappeared. All she could feel was the warm sunshine on her skin, the air of the country and the love radiating off of her loving, sweetheart boyfriend.

"The view is great here, Samantha," Don told her as she kept her eyes closed. "But you need to open your eyes to see it." Smiling, she opened them and saw that the hillside offered not only a tire swing, but also a wider view of the surrounding woodlands on the opposite shore.

"Mikey! What're you doing?!" Olivia screeched as Sam turned and saw Mikey scoop Olivia up into his arms, bridal style. Just then, Makayla was picked up by Leo and then Samantha felt her own feet leave the ground as Don scooped her up into her arms.

"We need to see how cold the water is," Mikey said, smiling wickedly.

"And since we're cold-blooded, well...we can't really do it," Leo continued.

"Wait a second! Yes you can!" Samantha countered as the three turtles brought the three girls to the edge of the hill. The water was directly beneath it with no rocks or anything hazardous. Or so Casey had told them. Don had, of course, confirmed all of this beforehand. "You guys can shiver! I know that!"

"Oh right!" Don chuckled, giving Samantha a playfully evil smile. "Our bad!" Then, he tossed Samantha into the air and watched as she screamed before landing with a huge _SPLASH!_ in the cold waters of the lake. The cold, fresh water pierced through her shorts and tank top and caused goose bumps to form on the skin of her arms and legs. Two more muffled splashes followed after, and Samantha quickly swam to the surface, her lungs bursting for air as she wiped away soaked strands of her hair off of her face. Looking back up at the cliff, she saw and heard Caroline laughing like crazy while the three brothers simply smiled and high-fived. Just then, Makayla and Olivia also re-surfaced, sopping wet and looking very pissed off.

"Michelangelo! When I get my hands on you...!" Olivia snarled, gritting her teeth.

"You're **seriously **gonna regret messing with a level eight judo fighter, Leonardo!"Makayla snapped, pushing her short, blond hair out of her face.

"Grab my hands, girls," Samantha told them, holding out her cold, chilly hands to her friends. Makayla and Olivia looked at one another before swimming to Samantha and grasping her hands. Closing her eyes, Samantha concentrated on the hillside where the Turtles and Caroline were standing. Suddenly, the waters vanished and Samantha could feel the land beneath her feet. Opening her eyes, she could see Leo, Don and Mikey standing nearby with Caroline, who'd gotten off the ground and was staring at Samantha in awe.

"Sammy?! How'd you...?!" Olivia began to ask, but Makayla put up a hand, her eyes focused on Leo and his brothers.

"Later, 'Liv," Makayla grounded out. "Right now..."

"We should start running, right?" Mikey squeaked.

"Oh yeah," Samantha whispered in a deadly voice. Screaming his signature high-pitch scream, Mikey took off like a lightning bolt with Leo and Donny not far behind them.

"GET 'EM!" Samantha commanded, taking off after the brothers with her girlfriends and Caroline in hot pursuit. Tree branches, bushes, wildflowers, were all pushed aside or trampled on while the race to catch the three Turtles went on until the farmhouse was in sight. April, Casey and Master Splinter were sitting on a picnic blanket nearby when they saw Mikey, Leo and Don coming out of the woods with the girls right behind them.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Easy there, girls!" Casey shouted, stepping in front of the three, soaked girls, arms outstretched, blocking their way to the guys.

"Let us through, Casey!" Makayla ordered, her eyes blazing as she glared at Leo.

"Or you're gonna be in a whole **world** of hurt!" Olivia continued, teeth gritted both to keep them from chattering and to look menacing as she looked at Mikey with hard eyes.

"Just take it easy, girls!" April advised, coming over to them. Then, she took in the fact that all of them minus Caroline were soaking wet. "I'm sure that Master Splinter will speak to the guys about this. Right now, you guys need to go change out of those wet clothes before you catch a cold."

"You're right, April," Samantha agreed. Makayla and Olivia stared at Samantha like she was insane or something. Caroline and the three mutant turtles looked confused. "We'll go change and then come back outside. Come on girls." Taking the lead, Samantha strolled right past the guys and into the house. Olivia and Makayla were close behind her, Caroline staying outside with the others. But when they reached the second landing, Samantha pulled the two girls into her room and shut the door closed.

"Why'd you just give in like that, Sammy?!" Olivia demanded, rounding on her best friend. Makayla sat down gingerly on the edge of Sam's bed, careful to avoid the scattered clothes nearby. "The guys totally had a seriously shell-shellacking coming to 'em!"

"We can't just let them get away with this!" Makayla added.

"And we won't," Samantha told them firmly. The two girls looked confused. "But we've gotta come up with a plan to catch them off guard. Remember, they're ninjas, so they're always alert. But I think I know a way we can get them back." And then, for the next few minutes, Samantha laid out the plan to her fellow co-conspirators, earning sly grins and suggestions. Then, when Olivia started shivering, they dispersed and hurriedly changed into dry clothes before heading back outside. April and Casey were on the picnic blanket along with Caroline and a sullen-faced Tonya, but the four, mutant brothers and Master Splinter were standing nearby on the grass a few meters away. The Turtles had their bandanas over their eyes and held long sticks in their hands instead of their weapons.

"Master Splinter. When you said we were coming up here for rest and recuperation, I thought you meant...rest and recuperation," Don said, trying to make sense of this training exercise.

"Ah, Donatello. There is nothing more restful for a ninja than rigorous training," Master Splinter intoned wisely. "It brings focus and..." He was interrupted by the noise of a video game of some sort. Samantha glanced over and saw that Mikey's bandana was around his head, his blue eyes fixed on his handheld gaming system. Then, with lightning speed, Master Splinter's walking stick smashed into the game system, knocking it to the ground.

"Game Dude?! Speak to me, Game Dude!" Mikey begged, kneeling down and picking it up in his hands as the gaming system grew fainter and fainter. Then, Master Splinter yanked on Mikey's bandana, hauling him over to where his brothers stood.

"Now, defend yourselves," Master Splinter instructed his sons.

"Uh, Sensei? We got zero visibility here," Raph reminded him. Then, the girls watched as Master Splinter leapt over to Leo, who blocked his attack before trying to counter. Then, Sensei moved on to Raph, then Don, and finally Mikey. Samantha smiled as each of them succeeded in blocking Splinter's attacks.

"Not bad, huh Sensei?" Mikey said proudly.

"Yes. Not bad at all," Master Splinter said. Samantha saw a little smirk on his face. "We have finished training for today." Then, just as Don, Mikey and Raph tossed their sticks away and began rearranging their bandanas, Master Splinter swept Mikey's feet out from underneath him.

"Uh-oh! Domino effect!" Samantha exclaimed, watching as the brothers toppled into each other. But Leo managed to do a backflip and land a safe distance away from the pileup. Samantha couldn't help but look at Makayla, who was wearing a proud smile on her face. Sam couldn't help but feel her own heart swell with pride at seeing Leonardo succeed in his training. Being her Protector was a job for only the most skilled ninjas, and Samantha was glad to see that Leo was living up to that expectation.

"Your boyfriend's a total showoff, you know that, Mac?" Tonya commented, watching as Raph and the others attempted to disentangle themselves.

"He is **not**!" Makayla said defensively. "He's just a dedicated student of ninjitsu. And he trains really hard, so it pays off."

"He's still a show off!" Tonya said, turning and watching as the group made their way to the blanket. Don sat down tentatively beside Samantha, who turned and greeted him with a brief peck on the lips.

"Hmm. Not what I was expecting after that cold swim you took earlier," he whispered to her, scanning her face for a smile, a smirk or anything indicating a foreboding vengeance. "Planning some sort of revenge with your gal pals?"

"Nah. Besides, watching Leo show you up in front of me was revenge enough," Samantha replied, smirking as Don snorted before wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She smiled as she leaned against his plastron, smiling both at the feeling of being in his arms and the revenge that he wasn't gonna see coming.

"How's your game system, Mikey?" Olivia inquired as Mikey sat down next to her.

"Game Dude's gone to Video Game Heaven," Mikey answered glumly, gazing down at the broken game system.

"Don't worry, my sweet Turtle Titan," Olivia told him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "When we get back to the city, I'll buy you a new one plus a few new games. Of your choice, of course." Mikey's face lit up like a Christmas tree as he hugged and kissed his girlfriend.

"I have the best girlfriend in the world!" he crowed, his arms wrapped tightly around Olivia, who was blushing and giggling like a schoolgirl.

"Yeah! Buying a new video game **really** makes a girl "da best girlfriend in da world"!" Raph scoffed from his spot beside Tonya. "Now, being able to kick some ass against an armed Purple Dragon and handling a handsome, short-tempered turtle like yers truly makes Tonya da best girlfriend in da world!"

"Please! Have you seen judo fighters in combat?!" Leo snorted, wrapping an arm around Makayla's waist. "They're amazing! And having a girlfriend who's in the eighth level of judo as well as being a complete sweetheart makes Makayla the best girlfriend in the world!"

"Um, excuse me? But have we all forgotten the ninja princess we all know and love?" Don reminded them. "Because not only has she saved our shells on more than one occasion, she's a full package deal of brains, beauty and brawn. Trust me. I know. So, hands down, my girl Samantha is the best girlfriend in the world!" The girls managed to scoot away from their boyfriends as the argument continued.

"Man. I've heard of being fought over by guys, but this is ridiculous," Makayla whispered.

"How do we break this up?" Tonya asked.

"I've got an idea," Olivia suggested, motioning for them to come closer. After a hushed session of whispering, the four girls nodded and then Samantha called out, "Guys!" The argument immediately subsided, and all eyes were on the four girls.

"Well, after much debate, we've decided that we're all equally awesome, so...you all have "the best girlfriends in the world"," Makayla informed them, the other three girls smiling. The brothers all looked at them before looking at each other.

"Works for us," they all chorused, earning a collective laugh from the girls, Casey, April and Master Splinter. Smiling, the four each returned to their girlfriend, failing to notice the collective look which passed between them.

"I'm lucky I don't have a boyfriend," Caroline jumped in. "If this is what I have to put up with, then I like being single."

"You're only thirteen!" Tonya reminded her. "You're too young to have a boyfriend."

"You started dating when you were **twelve**, remember?" Caroline shot back.

"I can't help it if boys find me irresistible," Tonya said, smirking slightly. Then, she rested her head on Raph's broad shoulder. "But at least now, I'm with the perfect guy." She smiled and planted a kiss on Raph's jaw, brushing her lips sensually across the skin, causing him to shiver slightly.

"I think I'm gonna be sick!" Caroline groaned, burying her face in her hands.

"Kids," Master Splinter sighed.

"But like I was saying before, Leo doesn't always get it right," Raph commented. "It's no big deal, but I was remembering the first time we met the Shredder, and how he had Leonardo here almost going over to "da dark side"."

"Here we go again!" Leo groaned, holding his head in his hand. "You know, I still feel like an idiot about that whole thing!"

"I don't blame ya!" Raph snickered. "Da Shredder almost had ya believing dat he was a good guy! Remember? The Shredder invited ya to a little party, and like a sucker you went. Alone."

Samantha rolled her eyes as she remembered that it was the same night that the Turtles were at her house for the sleepover. She remembered watching Leo take on the ambush of ninjas, watching Saki apparently persuade Leonardo that he was fighting "a great evil", and handing him a sword that had led to a fight between him and Raph that'd ended with her getting kicked off the roof by Leo while she was trying to break up the fight. But Leonardo had learned from his mistakes in the past, and she knew that Raph was only bringing it up because he was jealous.

"Join me, Leonardo!" Mikey declared, holding out a hand and doing an impression of Darth Vader. "I am your father."

"Good grief!" Tonya groaned, rolling her eyes as Olivia giggled. Makayla, Caroline and Sam only looked at each other and then shook their heads.

"I can't **believe** that ya not only did almost bought da Shredder's whole twisted story, but ya almost killed da Princess over dat dumb sword!" Raph reminded him.

"WHAT?!" Master Splinter screeched, glaring at his sons.

"If I remember correctly, Raph," Samantha jumped in, "I was trying to break up the fight between Leo and **you** over that sword. And it was an accident, Sensei. Leonardo would never hurt me on purpose. I know it."

"I still can't believe I fell for it!" Leo grumbled, looking angry with himself. Both Makayla and Samantha each put a hand on his shoulders.

"Do not feel badly, my son," Master Splinter counseled. "You hoped his words were true. It is the nature of a good heart to hope."

"I'm just glad you guys opened my eyes," Leo said, smiling as he gazed at his brothers and then Samantha. He took her hand from his shoulder and held it in his. "Especially you and Master Splinter, Samantha."

"Happy to help," she replied, smiling back as she tried to keep her cheeks from turning red in front of Makayla. She was used to being praised, but she never really liked it much. She only took the spotlight if she had to. And her blush wasn't really because of how she still felt about Leo, but she couldn't deny that her shyness at being at the forefront was only a larger part of it.

"I should've seen through the Shredder's lies!" Leo growled, releasing Sam's hand and staring down at his hands. "I should've seen it coming!"

"Yeah. Well...I'm just glad the Shredder didn't see **Master Splinter** coming!" Mikey broke in, sitting close to the edge of the blanket, one arm around Olivia. "Remember that first time we went to face the Shredder? He kicked our shells all over the place!"

"Tell me about it," Samantha muttered as her mind travelled back to that night on the rooftop:

_Samantha fought her way through numerous Foot Ninjas until she saw the Shredder pick Don up and toss him into the wall. Mikey was the next to go up against the Shredder and was kicked away alongside his brother. Eyes narrowed, she saw the metal man sneak up behind Leo and raised his claw. Leaping into the air, she blocked the blow that probably would have killed the turtle and felt Shredder's foot kick her in her injured side. Buckling slightly, she felt him seize her by the collar and throw her against the wall with the others. Raph came after her, and Leo was kicked extremely hard into the wall, his swords sliding to opposite ends._

_"Leo!" Don shouted. The five of them crowded together as the Shredder stood over them, gauntlet raised in the air above his head, the claw glinting in the moonlight._

_"None of you will leave here alive!" he vowed._

"I thought for sure the Shredder was going to finish us all off," Leo commented.

"Yeah. Too bad he forgot about one thing: a little ninety pound weapon of mass destruction we like to call "dear old dad"," Raph chuckled darkly as Samantha's mind returned to the moment that their lives had been saved.

_"Shredder! NOOOOOO!" Master Splinter cried, leaping into the air and blocking the fatal blow as it came down. "You destroyed my family once! I will not allow you to do it again!"_

_"No man or FREAK can defeat me!" Shredder snarled viciously. He raised his other arm to punch Splinter, but Samantha's wakizashi blocked the potential hit._

"And just when you thought it couldn't get any more amazing, our secret weapon jumped into the fight," Don reminded them. "A butt-kicking, sword wielding, ninja princess by the name of Samantha Bushido." Samantha blushed as the guys, Casey, April and Master Splinter all smiled at her. She ducked her head when she noticed that the girls were all staring at her admiringly.

_"That remains to be seen!" she growled. Her side still searing with pain, Samantha looked at Master Splinter and nodded. Leaping away towards the water tower, the elderly rat gestured for their adversary to bring it. Roaring, the two ninjas blocked and dodged every hit that Shredder tried to land. His claw sliced into the wooden support beam, which gave Master Splinter an idea._

_"Follow me, Princess," he told her. Nodding, she followed the elderly rat as Shredder slashed and slashed at them, always missing them, but always slicing through the wooden support beams. Suddenly, an ominous creaking could be heard as the water tower swayed and buckled._

_"**This** is for my Master Yoshi!"_

_"And **this** is for my father, Bushido!" Together, the two leapt into the air and kicked the weakened supports. The water tower, spilling water, smashed down onto the roof, carrying the Shredder and his minions over the roof and hitting the street below. Then, with a mighty crash, the water tower landed on top of the Shredder._

"I thought I had avenged my Master Yoshi and Princess Bushido-san's father," Master Splinter came in, his voice filled with both concern and wisdom. "But the Shredder was not finished with us yet."

"Finished? I wonder if he'll **ever** be finished!" Casey broke in, sounding completely frustrated. He was perched on the edge of a deck chair at the end of the blanket.

"He **does** have a habit of coming back," Leo admitted.

"Yeah. Remember April's place?" Don prodded grimly.

"I wish I could forget it," Mikey groaned, hugging his knees to his plastron.

"Trust me, Mikester," Samantha told him, her eyes grim and hard, her teeth clenched. "You're not the only one who wants that memory out of their head."

_Leo came crashing through the glass window of April's apartment and landed, shell-first on the floor surrounded by broken glass, battered and bruised from head to toe. Everyone gasped in horror._

_"Leo! Leo!" Don shouted as he, Sam, Raph and Mikey hurried over to Leo. Sam flung herself down beside him and quickly seized his wrist. There was still a pulse. It was weak, but at least it was still there. _

_"Who did this to ya?" Raph demanded._

_"I don't know, but they just made the **BIGGEST** mistake of their lives!" Samantha growled, unsheathing her wakizashi and heading for the destroyed window. Raphael followed in her wake, but before either of them could leap out and unleash their fury on the people who'd done this to someone they cared about, a weak voice stopped them._

_"Raph. Samantha. Wait," they heard Leo say in a whisper. Samantha hurried back to his side and knelt down, gripping her hand in his._

_"Tell me who did this to you," she whispered to him. He was barely able to move his hand to her cheek, but he managed and then delivered a horrifying message._

_"He's…back. The…Shredder," Leo managed to gasp out before falling unconscious again._

_The door of the antique shop was kicked in and an all-too-familiar figure walked into the store._

_"Oh crud!" Raph grumbled, holding his sais ready for a fight._

_"It's really him! Like Leo said!" Mikey gasped as the lightning flashed across the sky outside to reveal the Shredder, alive and looking as dangerous as ever. Everyone grouped around Leo, and Samantha stood at the forefront of the brothers, staring down their enemy._

"It was bad enough that I got injured," Leo sighed gravely. "But when the Shredder stabbed Samantha, I ... I...I felt as though he'd stabbed **me**."

"Same here," Mikey seconded.

"You know it," Don agreed.

"Got dat right," Raph added. "It all happened so fast, I couldn't believe it'd happened at all."

_The Shredder speedily kicked the sword out of Samantha's hand and pierced through the material of her battle suit with his metal claw, the blade sinking into her shoulder._

_"Samantha!" Leo cried, watching as Shredder's claw was pulled out of the young girl's shoulder and she stumbled back, blood pouring through her fingers. Just then, Hun appeared behind the girl and seized her by the hair. She could barely fight back, and Hun twirled her around a few times before releasing her with all his strength at a fast speed. Samantha went sailing through two cabinets and then smashed into the brick wall, dropping to the floor, unmoving and bleeding._

_"SAM!" Don screamed._

_"Princess! NO!" Raph shouted, desperately trying to fight his way to save Samantha. Just then, Leo, with all the strength he had left, ran and shoved a cabinet filled with antiquities in-between the Shredder and the unconscious Samantha. Then, he fell backwards, sinking back into unconsciousness as April caught him before he hit the floor. Mikey quickly leapt towards a door in the back of the store and opened it, turning on a small light bulb._

_"Everybody, in here! We can hold them off!" Mikey shouted. April and Master Splinter quickly dragged Leonardo into the room while Don hurried over, Samantha cradled in his arms. Raph and Casey held off the Foot ninjas and then ran into the room. Mikey quickly shut the door and then locked it._

_"If I cannot have the Amulet of Bushido, then NO ONE shall have it!" the Shredder snarled. Picking up a wide piece of metal, he slid it through the door handle and the gas pipes nearby. Then, he took out a small device, pressed a red button on it and threw it to the ground, flames bursting forth from it._

_"Like the Phoenix, I have risen from the ashes!" the Shredder declared, slicing through the gas pipe with his metal claw. "And into my fire, you shall fall!" Then, he walked straight through the growing flames of the fire and disappeared into the night._

_"Hey! This door's getting hot!" Mikey observed, pressing his hand against the metal of the door. He tried to push it open, but it wouldn't budge. "It's jammed. It won't open!"_

_"Gas plus flame equals…!" Casey began, but then he and Raph exchanged horrified looks as they both knew what the sum of the equation was. "Let's book! Now!"_

_"We gotta get outta here!" Raph shouted as he, Mikey and Casey all tried to pry the door loose. The store exploded in a great ball of flames, the building burning to the ground, flames tearing through the place._

"That was **not** a good day," Leo said grimly.

"You can say **that** again," Samantha seconded, flopping down onto her stomach as April hugged her knees to her chest.

"I really miss that old place," she sighed sadly, earning sympathetic looks from Olivia, Makayla, Tonya and Caroline. "Do you think he's really gone? For good. The Shredder?"

"I don't know," Raph responded. "I sure thought Leo finished him off dat night at da Foot headquarters."

_Leo put on the glove and seized the Sword of Tengu, landing on the opposite side of the temple to his katanas._

_Shredder quickly snatched up Leo's katanas, and the two opponents faced each other. Eyes narrowed and grips tightened on handles. The air was thick with tension as everyone waited for someone to make a move. Then, the Shredder and Leo leapt into the air at the same time, heading towards each other and then slicing at each other before landing on opposite sides. Leo landed unscathed as the Shredder landed as well, but his helmet fell off, clanging against the stone floor as the headless body of armor fell to the ground, releasing its hold on Leo's katanas. Leo sheathed the Sword of Tengu before walking over to the fallen body of the Shredder and retrieving his katanas. Don and the others stood behind him, silent, before Leo turned around and Samantha threw herself into his arms._

"He even got a congratulatory hug from da Princess," Raph snickered as Leo and Sam both blushed. Then, Raph's face became grim again. "But dat wasn't de end of him. Remember the night when our pals de Utroms were finally going home?"

_"Donatello. If you would do me the honor of powering up the Transmat?" Mortu asked._

_"Sweet! I'm all over it!" Don crowed in excitement as he hurried over to the Transmat device. Mortu crawled onto the transmat and Don was about to power it up when three shurikens hit the consol. Samantha and the others whipped around and saw the Shredder standing with Hun and the Elite Guard at the doors of the Transmat room._

"Da Shredder came back into da TCRI building," Raph continued. "Madder dan ever."

_"As long as I live, you will **not** leave this place alive!" Shredder declared, laughing evilly. Then, he dropped a small, claw-like device onto the ground. It dug into it and red lines spread throughout the entire room. _

"Seems like he's always trying to make sure we never leave **anywhere** alive," Leo interrupted.

"Must be in his job description somewhere," Caroline commented, earning chuckles from the girls and smirks from the four brothers.

_Samantha and Donatello stooped down to examine the device closer._

_"No! Do not touch it!" Mortu shouted, waving his robotic arms. "It's an Utrom implosion device! The techno-organic virus it contains would destroy you!" Samantha stepped back and away from the device along with the others._

_"Already it has thoroughly infected the system," Mortu continued, rushing over to the computer. "The entire building will implode! In less than ten minutes!" Everyone gasped as they turned and faced the Shredder. Gritting her teeth, Samantha and her friends leapt into action, attacking the Shredder._

"Bomb schmomb!" Mikey scoffed. "You guys are forgetting the freakiest part of that whole ordeal! The Shredder's true identity!"

_"You pathetic creatures and this palace brat have interfered in my plans one time too many!" the Shredder snarled as they all faced him. The Utroms had escaped, now back on their home planet, away from this insane madman they were unfortunately still stuck with. "For that, you will pay with your lives!" His claw came down only to be blocked by Master Splinter's walking stick._

_"Shredder! There is no time!" Master Splinter grunted as he continued to block the claw's movement. "The building is about to implode! Even **you** could not survive!" Just then, the Shredder's claw came down harder and snapped the walking stick right in half._

_"Then we shall all perish **together!**" the Shredder declared._

_"No way!" Samantha snapped angrily, launching herself at the Shredder. But the attacks were useless until Raph managed to slice into a weak chink in the Shredder's armor._

_"Guys! Use your weapons to penetrate his armor!" Don shouted from close to the Transmat console. "I think we can stop him for good!" Leo nodded and tossed a katana blade to Master Splinter, who caught it in a parallel position and leapt into the air, stabbing the armor. Leo and Raph came next with their weapons followed by Mikey._

_"You...pathetic...creatures...cannot...hurt **me**!" the Shredder growled as he tried to remain standing._

_"Wanna bet?!" Don challenged. Then, he looked at his girlfriend. "Sam! Go for it!"_

_"**This** is for my father!" she snarled before flying through the air with both hands on the handle of her sword and then stabbing the sword directly into the Shredder's chest where his heart would've been. _

_"Lights out, Shredder!" Don shouted before connecting two sparking wires. A huge jolt of electricity surged from the two wires and bounced twice before hitting the Shredder full power. He gave a loud yell and then collapsed onto the ground. Master Splinter and the others gathered around their fallen enemy and were shocked to see the chest compartment of the Shredder's armor begin to open. But for Samantha, it only confirmed what she already knew as the red, prisoner Utrom from the oracle pod chronicles crawled out of the armor._

"Man! When we found out that the Shredder was an Utrom, I nearly soiled my shell!" Mikey informed them.

_Before Raph could do anything, the Utrom turned on him and leapt onto his head, covering his face as he tried to yell for help._

"Nasty little bug," Raph grunted.

_"Get 'im off!" Mikey screamed in panic as Leo seized one of the Utrom prisoner's tentacles and tried to pull him off of Raph's head. Samantha ran in and seized another tentacle. The Utrom Shredder turned and tried to bite both Leo and Sam, who immediately backed off. Master Splinter came in with a piece of his walking stick and pried the Utrom off of Raph's head and flung it away into a wall near some canisters._

_"Guys! Quick!" Don shouted as he powered up the Transmat. They scrambled on, there was a flash of blue light and then, the TCRI building disappeared not a moment too soon._

"How come every place we go things get blown up?" Mikey complained.

"Just lucky I guess," Raph replied.

"Lucky!" Don scoffed. "Yeah! But that last time wasn't so lucky for the Shredder!

"There's** no** **way** he could've survived that. Right?" April said, looking at Don.

"As much as I hate to say it, it **is** still possible that the Shredder survived that explosion," Samantha answered grimly.

"Sammy's got a point, April," Mikey continued. "The Shredder may play rough, he may play dirty, but he don't play dead."

"Yeah," Leo agreed. "But he sure leaves a path of destruction wherever he goes. I can't help but think of Master Yoshi and Bushido. Not only was Master Yoshi Master Splinter's sensei and Bushido was Samantha's father, but they were both also Guardians, sworn to protect valuable secrets about the Utrom. Secrets that Shredder and his forces would stop at nothing to learn."

"Dey didn't go down without a fight, though," Raph added as Samantha's mind flashed through the memories of the attack on the ninja academy that her father had treasured and loved.

"Yeah," Mikey jumped in. "And from Master Splinter and Samantha both said, Master Yoshi and Bushido were two, tough dudes!"

"I wish we could've met them," Don sighed. "You have to admire Master Yoshi's courage. He was defiant to the end. And the same with Samantha's father."

"Yeah! They really threw it in da Shredder's face!" Raph broke in.

"Both my father and Master Yoshi knew the meaning of honor and loyalty," Samantha told them firmly, her eyes blazing as she saw her father at the feet of the Shredder, weakened and vulnerable, and yet braver and stronger than his adversary.

"Even though it cost them both their lives," Raph finished grimly as Samantha saw the glinting claw of the Shredder descend and pierce her father's heart.

"When I think of my Master Yoshi, my heart aches," Master Splinter said sadly. "But I know my Master Yoshi kept his honor 'til the end. A true warrior. And a true Guardian."

"As did my father," Samantha added, hugging herself tightly. "I have never been more proud of him than I was that day. I now see why the Utroms chose him as a Guardian. But I...I still wish that I...that he..." Tears flowed down from her eyes and, a moment later, she was in Don's arms, her tears soaking his plastron as he held her tightly in his arms. The girls all surrounded Don, ready to hug her and reassure her when the time came for them to do so. Just then, Casey leapt up from the chair, shaking with anger.

"Da Shredder! And da Hun! And da Purple Dragons!" Casey snarled, smashing the chair against the tree nearby. "Bunch o' heartless goons! Why I...! I just...I just wanna...GGGGAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"Umm...was that last part even English?" Makayla inquired, looking confused.

"No way, Jose," Olivia replied.

"Anybody here fluent in Neanderthal?" Tonya questioned, earning snickers from the brothers and Samantha as well as her girlfriends and Caroline. Master Splinter smiled slightly.

"I **think** what Mr. Jones is trying to say is...we're sorry for your loss, Master Splinter," April told the elderly rat, taking Casey's hand and the two of them sitting back down on the blanket. "And yours as well, Samantha."

"Thank you," Master Splinter replied. "We have all suffered at the hands of the Shredder."

"Yes. Thanks April," Samantha echoed, smirking slightly as April and Casey immediately noticed their hands and let go, blushing slightly. She glanced up at Don, who smirked and nodded, silently communicating that he'd seen and understood everything.

"You guys wanna know the funny part about all this?" Don prodded.

"Dere's a funny part?" Raph asked, surprised.

"Well, not "HA HA" funny, but kind of ironic. I was thinking that the Shredder had a bigger hand in our lives than we know," Don theorized. "Without the Shredder, we'd still be pet turtles in a glass jar right now." Everyone looked extremely confused.

"WhatchutalkinboutWillis?" Mikey jumped in, earning a snicker from Caroline.

"Well, allow me to explain," Don continued. "As you all might recall, we got mutated by that strange ooze when we were only babies."

"I remember it as thought it was yesterday," Master Splinter intoned. "You were all so cute."

"The ooze that mutated us came from the TCRI building, right?" Don explained. "And why did the TCRI building even exist? Because the Utroms were trying to build their Transmat so they could go home. And why did the Utroms need to go home?"

"Because they were late for dinner?" Mikey suggested.

"Classic explanation!" Samantha snorted playfully, rolling her eyes.

"No. Because an evil Utrom prisoner they were transporting across the galaxy sabotaged their starship," Don told them. "Causing them to crash-land on Earth. And they've been trapped here ever since. And who was the evil prisoner which caused the Utroms so much trouble? He was in fact...drum roll please..." Mikey and Olivia did a drum roll on their laps as Don declared, "The Shredder!"

"Wow," Makayla commented. "That's...uh...one, complex theory, Donny." Casey had built a fire as night had begun to fall, and Samantha found herself staring at the flames, thinking of her father. If the Shredder had never sabotaged the ship, then her father would still be alive. And so would Master Yoshi. But then, she would've never met Master Splinter, Leo, Mikey, Raph, Casey, April, the girls, and especially, she wouldn't have fallen in love with Donatello, the one guy in her life that meant the world to her. The Shredder may have destroyed her life, but in some ways, he had also given her a brand new one.

"Ergo, the Shredder had a direct hand in our creation," Don concluded. "See what I mean?" Everyone looked around at each other in silence as the flames crackled.

"I think I speak for everyone when I say...no," Raph told him.

"Ladies and mutants: how **not** to tell our origin story!" Mikey declared, popping a marshmallow onto a stick to roast over the open fire.

"No, listen," Don explained again. "If the Shredder hadn't made the Utroms crash-land in the first place, they never would've developed the ooze! And if they'd never developed the ooze, we never would've been mutated! And if we'd never been mutated, we'd be eating fish flakes in some kid's aquarium right now!"

"Whoa!" Tonya breathed. "That just blew my mind!"

"Again: the perks of having a genius for a boyfriend display themselves most magnificently," Samantha chuckled, snuggling closer to Don.

"Whoa! That's **really** deep!" Mikey observed.

"Being that closely related to da Shredder makes me feel kinda...dirty!" Raph commented, shuddering slightly. Master Splinter's face took on a pensive look.

"What're you thinking, Sensei?" Olivia asked. The aging rat smiled at the young girl.

"The Shredder may be a part of our origin, but it is **we** who choose our fate!" Master Splinter declared, smiling.

"And, even if the Shredder's still out there, no matter what he throws at us, no matter how he messes with our lives, he'll never be able to change the most important thing: that we're family," Leo told them, placing his hands on Mikey's and Makayla's shoulders. Samantha smiled at the wisdom Leo was placing for a teenage guy when Mikey busted out laughing, holding his marshmallow over the fire.

"HA HA HA! You've been watching too many after-school specials, bro!" Mikey teased, hitting Leo slightly on the shoulder. "'Cause that was **way** off the charts on the sap-o-meter!"

"Just eat yer s'more and keep quiet, Mikey!" Raph snapped. "Leo's got a point!" Just then, a gooey marshmallow ended up in Raph's face, right on his beak. Mikey started laughing as Raph's legendary short temper frayed in a matter of seconds.

"You are **so** dead, Laughing Boy!" Raph growled as he stormed over and tackled Mikey.

"Watch the graham crackers!" Leo shouted, but it was too late. Raph had already stepped in them, crushing them. Leo immediately leapt into the fray, shouting, "Cut it out!" Don leapt in and tried to help, but it was no use. Casey stood up and yelled, "Pile on!" before he also jumped in.

"Well...it's definitely a family. But do you think we'll ever be able to teach "the kids" some manners?" April asked Master Splinter as she, he, and the five girls watched the guys rolling and fighting in the grass.

"My thoughts on that? Nope," Tonya snickered.

"Ditto," Olivia seconded.

"Ms. O'Neil. Teaching them the ancient art of ninjitsu is hard enough," Master Splinter told her, looking torn between amusement and disappointment. "I must agree with Ms. Fernandez and Ms. Harrison. I am afraid even **I **cannot work miracles."

"Speaking of miracles, it looks like one's happening right now," Samantha observed as the fight began to disperse. The guys returned to the blanket, bruised and bearing the scars of battle. Samantha rolled her eyes along with her friends as the guys began comparing bruises, arguing over who was the best warrior. Thankfully for Tonya, her cell phone began ringing, and, after giving an irritated glance at the Caller ID, got up from the blanket and walked off a good distance away to answer it.

"Must be her cousin again," Raph grumbled, watching the pissed off, sad look on his girlfriend's face. "Dat dick can't give 'er one minute o' peace!"

"Why?" Makayla asked. "What's going on with him?" Raph looked over at Tonya, who was still engaged in a heated discussion over the phone. Then, he turned back to the others.

"She threatened ta castrate me if I told ya," Raph explained. "But I can't take seeing her dis stressed out and angry anymore. Tonya and Caroline are in debt. The rent, the hydro, the furniture, the bills, everything's added up. Yer cousin's been able ta keep da wolves at bay for a while, but the property manager's squeezing him hard now. Ta make matters worse, he's added tons of interest and other stupid fees on top of the debts they already gotta pay."

"That's completely unfair!" Olivia snapped angrily, clenching her fists.

"Why would he do something like that?" Samantha inquired, fighting back her own anger.

"Seems da bastard's gotten behind on his protection money to da Purple Dragons," Raph informed them. Casey's eyes immediately darkened at the mention of the East Side street gang. "Anyways, dat's why she's been so stressed and moody lately. She doesn't know what to do. And with Care's fourteenth birthday in a few months, she just really wanted to do something great for her. Dat dance contest was like a miracle from heaven for her."

"Then we'd better come with a kick-ass routine to get into that competition," Makayla said firmly.

"And another one to win it," Olivia added.

"Well, we need a song that'll blow everyone away," Samantha said, rolling onto her stomach and propping herself up on her elbows. "Something unique and unexpected. I was thinking "Good Girl" by Carrie Underwood."

"Country, Sammy? Really?" Olivia scoffed, rolling her eyes. "That will **not** win us a NYC dance contest. Texas? Maybe. NYC? Definitely not."

"Alright then, 'Liv," Samantha replied. "What song do **you** have in mind?"

"Easy. "Glad You Came" by The Wanted."

"No way!" Makayla chuckled. "I say we should do something to represent the fact that we're the underdogs in the competition. And "Make You Believe" by Lucy Hale is completely perfect!"

"No way, Jose!" Olivia and Samantha chorused.

"What's going on?" Tonya asked as she sat back down on the blanket close to the fire.

"The girls are trying to pick out a song for dat dance contest," Raph informed her as she sat down beside him, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Don't bother," Tonya told them. Everyone glanced up at her in shock and confusion. Had something happened to her cousin? Were she and Caroline now homeless? She noticed the looks she was getting. "What?! I just know that "Take A Hint" by Victoria Justice can beat out any song that you guys came up with." Everyone visibly relaxed as the three girls rolled their eyes.

"Not everyone's a rocker, Tonya!" Samantha reminded her.

"And not everyone's a country girl, Samantha," Makayla shot back.

"Or a pop princess, Mac," Olivia countered.

"Or a hip-hop enthusiast, 'Liv," Tonya argued. The four girls stared at each other in silence and then let out a collective sigh.

"This isn't getting us anywhere," Samantha groaned.

"Got that right," Makayla seconded.

"If only there was a way to combine all those songs into a totally awesome routine," Caroline sighed. It was then that the girls' faces lit up and they all beamed at Caroline.

"Care, I friggin' love you!" Tonya shouted happily, scooping her sister into a bear hug.

"OK! Who the Hell are you and what have you done with my sister?!" Caroline asked jokingly, hugging her sister back. "By the way, what did I do?"

"We can do a medley of songs," Samantha explained. "Each of us will dance a solo to the song of our choice, and then, we dance as a group to one song as the crowning piece."

"Which song, though?" Olivia inquired.

"What about "Firework" by Katy Perry?" Makayla suggested. "It's an awesome song, upbeat, and it completely fits with us being the underdogs of the competition."

"I love it!" Olivia gushed.

"Excellent choice!" Samantha seconded, giving a thumbs-up to Mac.

"Works for me," Tonya agreed, smiling.

"Now all you girls have to do is pick a song to audition with," Leo reminded them. The four girlfriends looked at each other in silence before collectively nodding, as if they'd read each other's thoughts.

""Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO," they stated together before they burst out laughing. The guys smiled, happy to see their girlfriends had solved the problem of the dance competition together.

"And speaking of dancing," Mikey broke in, pressing "Play" on Tonya's IPod and plugging it back into the speakers. "LET'S PARTY!"

_Hey girl, I'm waitin' on ya, I'm waitin' on ya  
Come on and let me sneak you out_

The five girls and April all fan-girl screamed and shouted, "One Direction!" before leaping to their feet and starting to dance to the music._  
_

_And have a celebration, a celebration  
The music up, the window's down_

_Yeah, we'll be doing what we do  
Just pretending that we're cool  
And we know it too  
Yeah, we'll keep doing what we do  
Just pretending that we're cool  
So tonight..._

"Let's go crazy, crazy, crazy till we see the sun! I know we only met but let's pretend it's love!" the girls all sang as they danced. Mikey leapt to his feet and begun dancing and singing with them. " And never, never, never stop for anyone. Tonight let's get some, and live while we're young!"

_Woahhh oh oh oh  
Woahhhh oh oh oh  
And live while we're young  
Woahhh oh oh oh  
Tonight let's get some  
And live while we're young_

_Hey girl, it's now or never, it's now or never  
Don't over-think, just let it go  
And if we get together, yeah, get together  
Don't let the pictures leave your phone, ohhhh_

Don, Leo and Raph got up from the blanket and together, the four Turtles formed a circle around the girls. Casey was dancing with April, and Samantha shot the redhead a smirk, which she responded to with an annoyed blush and an eye-roll. Don took in everything and smiled down at his girlfriend as they all danced to the song.

_Yeah, we'll be doing what we do  
Just pretending that we're cool  
So tonight..._

"Let's go crazy, crazy, crazy till we see the sun! I know we only met but let's pretend it's love!" everyone sang. "And never, never, never stop for anyone! Tonight let's get some, and live while we're young!"

_Woahhh oh oh oh  
Woahhhh oh oh oh  
And live while we're young  
Woahhh oh oh oh  
Tonight let's get some  
And live while we're young_

The girls then rotated in the circle clockwise and danced with a different turtle.

_And girl, you and I,  
We're 'bout to make some memories tonight_

The Turtles took a page out their books and rotated in the opposite direction, dancing with a different girl as well. Master Splinter and Caroline were on the outskirts of the circle, watching and bopping their heads along with the music.

I wanna live while we're young  
We wanna live while we're young

Let's go crazy, crazy, crazy till we see the sun  
I know we only met but let's pretend it's love  
And never, never, never stop for anyone  
Tonight let's get some  
And live while we're young

Samantha found herself dancing with Leo for this last part of the song. She'd never seen him so relaxed and carefree in her life. It made her unable to stop smiling or even blushing when he flashed her a grin as they danced.

_Crazy, crazy, crazy till we see the sun  
I know we only met but let's pretend it's love  
And never, never, never stop for anyone  
Tonight let's get some  
And live while we're young_

Rotating one last time, each girl was dancing with her Turtle. Samantha smiled as Don pulled her closer to him, their bodies meshing as they danced. Throwing her head back and allowing her hair to fly backwards, she laughed and whooped as the song drove on.

_Wanna live, wanna live, wanna live  
Come on, younnngg  
Wanna live, wanna live, wanna live  
While we're young  
Wanna live, wanna live, wanna live  
Tonight let's get some  
And live while we're young._

Everyone whooped and cheered before Ke$ha's "Your Love is My Drug" came blaring on to the speakers, causing the cheering and screaming to reach maximum volume as everyone began singing the lyrics. And as Samantha danced with her girlfriends, her boyfriend, and their family, she felt as though nothing could in the world could take away this happiness from her now; not even the Shredder. And as they partied the night away at the farmhouse in Northampton, Samantha prayed with all her heart that even if the Shredder returned, that she, the Turtles, her new family, and her girlfriends would still be able to have moments of peace, fun and unending happiness and bliss; just like they were having right now.

**Me: *walks in with IAmTheDragonEmpress* Hello?! Any mutant turtles in the house?**

**Mikey: Hey Livangel16! *hugs Me and sees IAmTheDragonEmpress* Another visiting fan I presume?**

**IAmTheDragonEmpress: Yep. Nice to finally meet ya, Mikey!**

**Leo: What's going on, Mikey? *sees Me* Hey, Livangel16. You've brought another friend?**

**Me: Yep. IAmTheDragonEmpess, meet Leo, turtle showoff extraordinaire.**

**Leo: Ha Ha, Livangel16. So, your screen name's IAmTheDragonEmpress?**

**IAmTheDragonEmpress: Yep. Dragons are completely and totally AMAZING!**

**Mikey: It's a cool name, dudette! So, I suppose you're hear to visit the one and only...BATTLE NEXUS CHAMPION!**

**IAmTheDragonEmpress: Actually...I'm here to visit Donny and Raph.**

**Me: Donny! You've got a visiting fan! You too, Raph!**

**Don: *comes running in, looking excited beyond belief* WHERE?! WHERE?! WHERE'S MY VISITING FAN?!**

**IAmTheDragonEmpress: Umm...hi, Donny!**

**Don: Hey! *hugs IAmTheDragonEmpress* Thanks SO MUCH for coming! You have no idea how long I've wanted to have someone visit me!**

**Raph: Judging from how ya just came running in here like yer life depended on it, I think she can tell. What's up?**

**IAmTheDragonEmpress: Not much. So, what do you guys wanna do?**

**Samantha: *walks in* I'm here! Finally! It took me SO long to get a day off to come here!**

**Don: Sam! *runs to Sam and twirls her around* I wasn't expecting to see you here! I've got my girlfriend AND a visiting fan coming to see me in the same day! Somebody pinch me! *Mikey pinches him* OW! MIKEY!**

**Mikey: Careful what ya wish for, Einstein! *Don takes out bo staff***

**Samantha: Calm down, baby. *puts a hand on his shoulder* You know how Mikey is. **

**IAmTheDragonEmpress: Yeah. It's not worth it, Donny. *puts a hand on his other shoulder***

**Mikey: Yeah! Listen to your girlfriends, Donny! Because you don't wanna be humiliated by...THE BATTLE NEXUS CHAMPION!**

**Leo: And here we go AGAIN!**

**Raph: Dat's it! If somebody doesn't shut him up in the next sixty seconds, I'm gonna lose it and go postal on him!**

**IAmTheDragonEmpress: Allow me Raph! Sam, can I borrow your wakizashi for a moment? **

**Samantha: Sure. *hands IAmTheDragonEmpress her wakizashi. IAmTheDragonEmpress gets into fighting stance while Mikey takes out his nunchucks and does the same***

**Mikey: You sure you wanna do this, IAmTheDragonEmpress? **

**IAmTheDragonEmpress: You know it! Now, give me your best shot, Mr. I-Am-The-Battle-Nexus-Champion!**

**Me: This is gonna be _good_!**

**Mikey: Alright. But don't say I didn't warn ya! *goes in for attack. IAmTheDragonEmpress blocks the attacks with Sam's wakizashi and counters with lightning-fast sword strikes and martial arts attacks. Mikey falls to the ground, beaten***

**Me: Oh...my...gosh!**

**Leo: Damn!**

**Don: Incredible!**

**Raph: Freakin' Hell ya! *hugs IAmTheDragonEmpress* You are AWESOME!**

**Samantha: I'll second that! *hugs IAmTheDragonEmpress too* He was REALLY starting to bug me with the whole "I AM THE BATTLE NEXUS CHAMPION!" thing!**

**Mikey: Aw shell! What hit me?**

**IAmTheDragonEmpress: Martial arts, my friend. Martial arts. *hands Samantha back her wakizashi and takes Mikey's Battle Nexus trophy* Well...I believe _this _now belongs to me. I gotta get going. It was nice meeting all of you. Especially you, Samantha. You're awesome, and Donny's lucky to have you in his life.**

**Samantha: Aw, thanks IAmTheDragonEmpress! I tell him that everyday.**

**Don: You do _not_!**

**Samantha: I shouldn't have to.**

**Leo: Ouch! **

**Me: You just got spanked, Donny!**

**Raph: Seriously though, come back anytime. We could _definitely _use your skills with Mikey.**

**Mikey: Hey!**

**IAmTheDragonEmpress: Thanks, Raph. Anyways, thanks for inviting me, Livangel16. Bye everyone! *leaves skipping with the trophy***

**Don, Leo, Me, Samantha, Raph: BYE!**

**Mikey: I DEMAND A REMATCH!**

**Me: You're gonna have to wait a few chapters before that happens, Mikey.**

**Mikey: How many?**

**Me: Umm...I don't know. Maybe 10? 20?**

**Mikey: *falls to his knees* NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOO!**

**Whew! I am EXHAUSTED! So, the next chapter is gonna be a little shorter than this, but trust me when I say that the dance competition is gonna be the most awesome scene ever! Anyways, gotta go do homework and study! So, you all know that reviews are what inspire me to create such amazing chapters, so review, review, review! I'll try not to take so long to post the next chapter, guys! Cheers! :)**

**-Livangel16**

**P.S.-For those of you who follow CowabungaChick's stories, has anyone heard from her? It's really getting me worried because I've messaged her, and she hasn't replied. Hope she's OK. Let me know if you've heard anything! Many thanks!**


	50. Chapter 50

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**I'M ALIVE! So, first, I must say that I am SO SORRY for leaving this story for so long! School got really busy, and I've needed to focus on my work! But thanks to all my lovely reviewers: grapejuice101, pokemonjkl, Aster Sapphire, Tmntfreak1996, IceColdFever, ****flamedragon242, I Love Kittens Too, ninjalady, Kimmie98, RAHELA, ninja-warrior101, mchap1154, Mayu123, Pink Lightspeed Ranger, IAmTheDragonEmpress, NeverMindSoGo, lovefairytail007, honkytonk-babe3, cook563, missymousemonster, bell-13-tmnt-lover and WolfAssassin369! You guys are all amazing! Seriously, I can't say THANK YOU enough times to cover it! So, we've reached 50 chapters in this story guys! I'm seriously SO happy about this! And the best part is, the story's not even halfway done yet, so more thrills, romance and drama are to come! For now, enjoy this very LONG 50th chapter that I wrote when I should be studying for midterms! Enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Fifty

"Must...go...to...sleep!" Olivia moaned, flopping into Mikey's arms as the gang stumbled up the staircase to their rooms. Mikey chuckled and scooped up Olivia bridal style as they finally reached the second floor landing.

"Bedtime for you, dudette," he laughed. Raph promptly smacked him, scolding him about making so much noise so late at night. Master Splinter and Caroline had turned in early whereas the teens had stayed outside dancing to the songs on Tonya's IPod (they'd moved into the barn when it'd gotten colder). Finally, the IPod had died and the Turtles and their girls had decided to call it a night. Casey and April had, of course, also turned in before the party had ended. The Turtles walked with the girls to Samantha's room, where a few cots had been set up to accommodate Tonya, Makayla, Olivia and Caroline.

"You girls sure you're OK with being crammed like sardines for the next few weeks?" Leo inquired as they came to the door of the room.

"We'll be fine," Makayla reassured him, putting a gentle hand on his arm. Then, on a sudden impulse of what Samantha considered a mixture of bravery and coquette-like sensuality, Makayla drew her fingernails lightly down his skin, smiling seductively when she heard Leo's breath catch in his throat.

"Take it easy, Mac!" Raph chuckled softly, smirking at the stunned expression on his older brother's face. "Don't want him to have a heart attack and die, do ya?!"

"Raph! Stop it!" Samantha admonished playfully, smirking as well and sending Leo a sly wink. He quickly shook himself and rolled his eyes in response to the smirks and smiles being aimed at him.

"But anyways, we'll let you dudettes go to sleep, because **I** want all of you downstairs tomorrow morning to taste a delicious, mind-blowing, mouth-watering breakfast prepared at _Chez Mikey's_!" Mikey declared, earning another smack from Raph for being loud.

"Oh yeah, Mikey! That name's a smash-hit on the restaurant chain!" Tonya told him, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Raph snickered and sent his girlfriend a smirk.

"Ignore the uncreative mind of the short-tempered redhead, Mikester," Olivia jumped in, resting her head on Mikey's shoulder, her fingers softly tracing the outline of his plastron. "**I** think it's a brilliant name for your restaurant."

"Thanks, babe," Mikey said, giving her a quick kiss. "Well, goodnight girls."

"Goodnight boys," Samantha told them as she opened the door to her room. "And don't worry about us. We'll probably just stay up longer talking about you guys and how amazing you all are."

"We **are** pretty amazing," Mikey agreed, flexing his muscles, causing Olivia to giggle in admiration and the other girls to roll their eyes.

"Besides...there are still a few things Samantha **hasn't** told us about her and Don's romantic night together," Makayla added slyly, sending a smirk at the genius turtle, whose jaw dropped to the ground in horror and shock.

"Samantha! What did you tell them?!" Don demanded, sounding completely terrified.

"Probably a lot more than you told your brothers," Samantha shot back playfully, leaning against the doorframe and gazing at Don through downcast lashes. A coquette smile on her face, Don felt like kissing her and shaking her at the same time.

"Which was next to nothing!" Raph recalled. Then, he slung a brotherly arm around Don's shoulders. "C'mon Donny! I wanna hear about this...romantic encounter! Every...single...minute of it!"

"Count me in!" Mikey seconded. "I could use a good bedtime story!" Samantha's face turned red as the other girls giggled.

"Trust me, Samantha," Leo said, putting a brotherly hand on her arm. "I'm only listening to this because I have to share a room with them."

"Oh please, Fearless!" Raph scoffed, rolling his eyes. "We all know **yer** da one who wants ta hear dis more than anyone! After all, ya can't seem ta keep yer hands off da Princess!"

"Get over yourself, Raph!" Leo snapped, removing his hand almost immediately after that. "Samantha's like a sister to us all, including me. Not everything that happens between us is somehow part of a sexual conspiracy!"

"Sexual conspiracy? Interesting terminology, Leo," Don snickered.

"Whatever, Einstein!" Leo shot back, glaring at Don.

"Ladies...I believe that's our cue to go," Tonya suggested to her girlfriends. The others all nodded in agreement and quickly kissed their boyfriends goodnight before entering their room and closing the door. Everyone all crammed onto Samantha's bed and waited for the guy's footsteps to fade away from the doorway.

"OK. Now that we're alone, we can talk about what's **really** going on," Samantha whispered.

"Right," Makayla and Olivia agreed. Tonya just stared around in confusion.

"We're planning to prank the guys as revenge for dumping us in the lake this afternoon," Makayla told Tonya.

"And we've already come up with a full-proof plan that'll make this the most amazing prank in the history of pranks!" Olivia giggled softly.

"Well?! Don't leave me sitting here any longer like some frog on a log!" Tonya demanded, earning shushes from the three girls. They all glanced at Caroline, who still seemed to be fast asleep.

"We don't want Caroline to hear!" Olivia whispered. "She might tell the guys!"

"I wouldn't do that!" Caroline insisted, sitting up in bed and staring at her sister and her friends. Everyone's mouths dropped open. "Oops."

"Way to remain incognito, Care!" Tonya snickered.

"How long have you been listening?!" Samantha asked.

"Long enough to wanna be a part of this "master prank of the century"," Caroline replied, sliding out of her cot and wedging her way onto the bed. "Even though I don't know the details."

"I think I know the perfect place to put you in this plan, Care," Samantha chuckled. Then, she leaned and whispered the details of the reformed plan to her four co-conspirators.

"It's perfect!" Olivia cheered silently.

"Amazing!" Makayla said, smiling.

"Wickedly awesome and totally devilish!" Caroline chuckled, grinning evilly.

"It's incredible alright!" Tonya whispered. "But one thing's missing."

"Really?" Makayla inquired, confused. "What's that?"

"You forgot Raph in your little revenge plan," Tonya informed them. "If you **really** wanna make this a slam dunk prank, you gotta nab all four of them. Otherwise, it won't be as awesome. "

"Oh my gosh! You're **so** right, Tonya!" Olivia said, smacking a hand to her forehead.

"Why didn't we remember that?!" Samantha seconded, shaking her head.

"Besides, he's been getting a little...too touchy-feely, if you catch my drift," Tonya added.

"He hasn't...?" Olivia began to ask, but Tonya shook her head.

"But he shoved me into a huge pile of hay and scared a couple of the chickens into hiding while we were out in the barn," Tonya told them. "How was **I** suppose to know he doesn't like being called "Raphie Boy"?!"

"Tonya. Something tells me you knew," Samantha said, looking suspicious. Tonya bowed her head to hide her guilty smile, but she couldn't.

"Alright. I wanted to irk him a little. But that little shove into the hay was unnecessary! I swear I was picking hay out of my butt for an hour while Raph laughed his shell off in a corner!"

"T.M.I., sis!" Caroline snickered. Samantha shook her head. Caroline was right. That **was** just a little too much information.

"OK. It's a good idea," Makayla told everyone. "But how do you prank someone as tough and hotheaded as Raphael?"

"I think I may have a solution to that particular problem," Tonya chuckled. All eyes were fixated on the redhead as she casually gathered her hair back from her shoulders and sat up straight, smiling proudly.

"Well?! You planning to keep us in suspense forever, Harrison?!" Samantha demanded playfully.

"One word, ladies. One word," Tonya said, grinning. Silence followed.

"Well?!" Makayla prodded anxiously.

"Tell us!" Olivia demanded.

Tonya's smile widened until it stretched from ear to ear. "Bugs."

* * *

Early the next morning, the girls all slipped out of their beds and climbed out of the window near Sam's room. Stealthily, they slid down the drainpipe and hurried across the yard to the barn. Opening the doors and finding it completely abandoned, they split up and set to work constructing their masterpiece of revenge. The work seemed to go on forever, but Samantha was watching the time like an eagle watching for its prey. They'd been inside the barn for little over an hour and a half, and she knew that they needed to get back into their room before the guys woke up and noticed they were missing. They'd just have to pray that everything fell together.

"How's it coming, girls?" Samantha inquired as she set the spring in place. Tapping a finger against the tripwire, she saw that was tight enough to trigger the trap. She smiled.

"We're all good here," Olivia told her, sealing the chicken coop loosely.

"Same on this end," Makayla seconded, making sure the two buckets were placed strategically above their marks. Just then, Tonya and Caroline came hurrying back into the barn, dusting off their hands.

"Everything's all set," Tonya confirmed.

"Shall I summon them to their demise, Chief?" Caroline asked, holding back a fit of giggles. Samantha smiled.

"Not yet, Caroline," Samantha answered. "Let's go wash up and prepare for breakfast first. Then, we kick the plan into action. Everyone know their stations?" The four girls nodded. "Then, let's go and remember: act normally so that they don't suspect anything. Especially Don and Leo. Those two are pretty clever."

"Agreed," the four girls chimed in unison before everyone burst out laughing and then reduced the noise to giggles and snorts of laughter as they made their way back across the yard and up into their room.

About a half hour later, Samantha and her girlfriends all trouped down into the kitchen to the overwhelming, delicious aroma of bacon, scrambled eggs and chocolate chip pancakes. Mikey was at the stove, moving vigorously from frying pan to frying pan, flipping, stirring and turning things over.

"Wow, Mikey! That smells **amazing**!" Samantha breathed as she sat down beside Donatello, who was next to Tonya. She leaned in and gave him a good morning kiss which he returned whole heartedly.

"Ya know how you can show our appreciation, dudette?! Stop playing Tonsil Hockey with your boyfriend at the breakfast table!" Mikey scolded playfully, earning laughter from the others and glares from Don and Samantha.

"Haters," Don muttered, planting a kiss on Sam's cheek.

"So, what's on the agenda for today, girls?" Leo asked Makayla, slinging an arm around the back of her chair, his fingers playing with a few strands of her hair, which was growing out of its shortened length.

"Practice," Samantha promptly replied. "We've got a routine to work on for the dance contest auditions. In fact, I'm gonna go and see if there's a spot in the barn we can practice in without four, nosy turtle disturbing us every five minutes."

"Hey!" all four brothers shouted.

"I resent that!" Mikey added, flipping a pancake and watching it land back in the frying pan. Samantha giggled and then made her way out of the kitchen and out towards the barn.

"How do you put up with her Donny?" Mikey inquired, smirking.

"Hey! Don't be dissing our girl, Mikey!" Olivia chided.

"Den she shouldn't have dissed us!" Raph countered.

"She wasn't!" Tonya argued.

"That's it! I'm going outside with Samantha!" Caroline declared, pushing away from the table. "Call me when you guys have grown up!" With that, she bolted from the kitchen like lightning.

"Now, if you'd ask me how I put up with **her**," Tonya said, gesturing to the door that Caroline had just gone through. "I would answer that I have no earthly way of explaining that." Everyone laughed as Mikey began sharing out the food on the numerous plates. Just then, April, Casey and Master Splinter walked into the room.

"Morning everyone," April greeted.

"Morning, April!" everyone chorused.

"Hey! What about me?!" Casey inquired.

"Mornin' bonehead!" Raph greeted, snickering. Everyone else either chuckled or bit down on their laughs, their frames shaking silently. April stifled a yawn and stretched before inhaling the aroma around her.

"Mmm! Something sure smells good in here!" she observed, smiling.

"Zat would be ze great masterpieces of ze great Chef Mikey, mademoiselle!" Mikey informed April in a "French" accent.

"Oh brother!" Makayla mocked in a similar voice earning the snickers and chuckles of everyone present. Everyone also bowed their heads and said good morning to Master Splinter as the remaining three members of the family took their places at the table. Mikey handed out all the plates, leaving Sam's and Care's close to the stove before sitting down with his own plate.

"Everyone, dig in!" Mikey declared, taking up a forkful of eggs and bacon. But just as he was about to taste his own culinary creations, Caroline came bursting through the back door, looking panicked and worried.

"Guys! Guys! Come quick!" Caroline shouted.

"What's wrong, Care?" Leo asked, ever the leader in the face of danger.

"It's Samantha!" Care cried.

"Samantha?! What happened?!" Don demanded, leaping to his feet.

"She and I were clearing away some stuff to make room for the girls to practice," Care explained. "Then, she climbed up to the rafters to see if there was any space for us to store the stuff, and then...she...she fell! She's not breathing or moving! I...I didn't know what to do, so I ran back here!"

"Ya did da right thing, Care," Raph told her soothingly, going over to her and rubbing her back in a brotherly way, comforting her.

"Casey, April! Get some medical stuff ready!" Don instructed. "The girls can help you. We'll go and get Samantha."

"We're coming with you guys!" Makayla insisted.

"Mac, it doesn't make sense if all of us go," Leo reasoned. "We'll get Sam. You girls help Casey and April get the stuff for Don to treat her." With that, the guys hurried out of the house and towards the barn. The second the door closed behind them, the four girls burst out into laughter.

"What's so funny?!" Casey asked, looking majorly confused.

"Sam's **fine**!" Makayla managed to choke out. "She...isn't...hurt!"

"Then why did Caroline tell the guys...?" April began to ask, but Master Splinter held up a paw.

"I believe **I** know the answer, Ms. O'Neil," Master Splinter said, looking at the four girls, who all had the sense to stop laughing and look sober. "These young ladies are planning to avenge their unscheduled swim in the lake yesterday. And Raphael is just, as they would say, collateral damage."

"Sensei, we..." Makayla began to say, but Master Splinter held up his paw again.

"Revenge is never the best path to take, young ladies. It can lead to a life of darkness and deceit," Master Splinter informed them. Then, he smirked. "However, it is as the wise Japanese sage once said, "If you can't stand the heat, don't play with fire". And I have a feeling that my sons played with fire when they dunked you girls and Princess Bushido-san in the lake. And now, they're about to get **burned**!"

* * *

The barn was silent and empty when Leo threw open the doors and he and his brothers rushed inside.

"There!" Don shouted, pointing to a broken space in the second floor of the barn. Rushing over, the brothers then saw that the hole was big, big enough for Samantha to have fallen through. Then, Don saw red droplets in the ground leading away from a larger pool.

"Is that...?!" Mikey squeaked, then gulped down the last word.

"Blood," Raph confirmed, looking grim.

"She could still be alive, so let's keep our heads on," Leo told them firmly. "We split up and search the entire barn from top to bottom. Yell when you find Samantha, and we'll come and take her into the house. Agreed?" Everyone nodded and then the brothers split up to search the barn.

"Sammy! Sammy! Where are you?!" Mikey called, heading towards the chicken coop. His eyes searched through the haystacks for any sign of the bleeding, injured girl. Just then, he stepped on the hidden tripwire, causing the bucket of chicken feed placed on the rafters above him to fall smack on top of his head, covering him with it.

"Chicken feed?!" Mikey observed, pulling the pail off and tossing it aside. "Come on, Sammy! You're gonna have to do a lot better than that!"

From her hidden position behind the chicken coop, Olivia inched her hand out and lightly jiggled the loosened latch. The door of the coop creaked open, and suddenly, a flurry of clucking chickens came flying out of the coop and promptly swarmed Mikey, pecking at his head, shoulders, shell and body.

"AH! AH! Rabid chickens!" Mikey screamed, throwing his arms around wildly, trying to beat off the chickens. When he saw that it was useless, he began running like mad, chickens chasing after him, pecking at him.

"Rabid chickens! GET 'EM OFF! GET 'EM OFF! GET 'EM OFF!" Mikey screamed, running out of the barn and into the yard, leaving Olivia sitting beside the chicken coop, her body shaking with suppressed laughter.

* * *

"What's dat idiot screamin' about now?" Raph grumbled, turning around and watching as a swarm of chickens chased Mikey, pecking at him. Snickering and trying not to burst out laughing at the sight of Mikey being chased by a bunch of chickens, Raph missed the tripwire in front of him until he almost stepped on it. His foot hovering over it, he smirked and followed it up to the bucket that it was attached to.

"Nice try, Princess!" Raph shouted, smirking. "But all yer chickens are gone after Mikey! So, even if I get covered in dis stuff, dose chickens ain't gonna come after **me**!" He yanked on the string, pulling the bucket down and allowed the contents to spill over him. Raph's triumphant smirk quickly vanished when he felt the contents..._crawling_ over his shell, plastron and skin. He looked down and saw centipedes, spiders, worms, ants and a few beetles all over him.

"YAH! GET 'EM OFF ME! GET 'EM OFF ME!" Raph screamed, trying desperately to brush the bugs off of him. He was so preoccupied with this task that he didn't notice the second tripwire installed until he felt something else being dumped on him.

"GAH! MORE BUGS! I **HATE **BUGS! GET 'EM OFF ME! SOMEBODY GET 'EM OFF ME!" Raph hollered, taking off for the nearest source of water, flailing his arms around like a madman. He ran like Shaggy from _Scooby Doo_, and Tonya emerged from behind a haystack and fell to the floor, laughing like a maniac.

* * *

"What's all the screaming about?" Leo wondered as he searched the haylofts on the opposite side of the barn. It was while searching through these haylofts that his hand unknowingly triggered one of the tripwires. Leo immediately jumped back, but nothing happened. He smirked.

"I think one of your little tricks is faulty, Samantha!" he called out. Just then, he felt something slam hard into his shell, sending him flying face first into a pie that seemed to materialize out of nowhere. As he was wiping the sweet, sticky confection out of his eyes, a sack of flour fell from the rafters and crashed right onto Leo, bursting open on impact with his head, covering the leader in flour from head to toe.

"Alright, Samantha!" Leo coughed, shaking some of the excess flour from himself. Just then, he saw the edge of a black cloak hurrying through the side door of the barn. Leo smirked. _You're mine, you little trickster!_ he thought to himself as he silently hurried after the figure. He followed her close to the pig pen before he reached out and grabbed her, but missed her entirely and tumbled face first into the mud. Sitting up, he found himself being assaulted with mud from the nearby pigs, who were tossing the brown substance onto him like dogs digging a hole to bury a bone. He turned and saw that the cloaked figure was nothing more than a balloon attached to a string.

"You are SO gonna pay for this, Sam!" Leo shouted before a clod of mud flew into his open mouth and Makayla, who was hiding in the nearby bushes, buried her face in her hands and laughed until she was crying.

* * *

"What's with everyone?" Don asked himself as he continued searching himself. First Mikey, then Raph and now Leo? Was he the only normal one in his family after all?

"Samantha?! Samantha?! If you can hear me, give me a shout!" Don yelled. Then, he heard a faint moan nearby and hurried over. He saw a dark-haired figure lying on its side, dressed in the same shirt had been wearing at the table that morning.

"Sam!"he shouted, hurrying over and cradling her in his arms, bridal style. It was then he noticed that she felt lighter than usual. Just as he saw the straw-stuffed dummy in his arms, a tub full of a white, sticky substance fell onto him, engulfing him. Dropping the dummy, he studied the white liquid goo.

"Glue?" Don observed. "Nice trick, baby. Now, come on out so I can give you a nice, big hug!" He heard a giggle from a haystack in the corner and silently crept forward. "Now, **where** is my beautiful, little ninja princess?" The giggle sounded again. Don's smirk grew as he tiptoed close to the side of the haystack. "AHA!" he cried, leaping forward, but instead of grasping onto Samantha, he found nothing but a huge bunch of white feathers, which flew up and covered his glue-covered body. Shaking himself, he got up off the floor. Enraged that he'd fallen for such a juvenile trick, he knocked over a can, which promptly knocked something else onto his head. He felt it and could tell that it was plastic in nature. But what he didn't know as he exited the barn was that he looked like a giant rooster, and that Samantha, who'd been hiding in the rafters, was dying from laughter at the sight of her plan succeeding.

* * *

Casey, April and Master Splinter all hurried outside to the small space between the barn and the farmhouse. Then, they saw Mikey beating away the remaining, stubborn chickens that pecked at him for food, Raph shuddering as he flicked off a centipede from his shoulder but failed to notice the large earthworm on his head until it landed on his beak. Then, he screamed and ran around in circles before finally shaking it off of him. Leo looked like he'd taken a roll in some flour and then jumped into the pigpen with the sow and her piglets. And Don. He looked...less like a turtle and more like a giant rooster.

"AH! GIANT CHICKEN!" Mikey screamed, scattering the last few chickens and running for his life when Don began approaching him. "Stay away from me, you oversized piece of Popeye's! Stay AWAY!"

"Mikey you idiot! It's **me!**" Don snapped, ripping the red plastic from off his head and shaking himself. A few feathers dropped to the grass.

"Donny? Is that...?" Mikey began to ask, but when Don nodded, Mikey abandoned the question and dropped to the ground, rolling with laughter. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You look **ridiculous!** Sammy got you good!"

"Oh yeah?! Look who's talking, Mr. "Rabid-chickens-were-pecking-my-shell-and-head!" Don shot back, smirking when he saw Mikey's face become horrified.

"You heard that?" he asked.

"The entire **state** musta heard ya, Shell-for-Brains!" Raph scoffed, coming over to them. He snickered at the sight of Don covered in feathers before turning back to Mikey. "Screaming over a bunch o' chickens! Now, getting a bunch of creepy crawlies dumped on ya is a good reason ta scream yer lungs out!"

"Ya mean like that spider that's crawling on your head right now?" Mikey questioned.

"WHERE?! WHERE?! GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME!" Raph yelped, smacking his bald head frantically. Mikey and Don both laughed themselves silly until Leo came over, covered with mud that was slowly drying. In a few of the places where it had dried and fallen off, the white flour could be seen underneath.

"What's so funny?" Leo asked, crossing his mud-covered arms over his plastron.

"When did **you** sign up for boot camp?" Don asked, holding back a few snickers.

"HAHA. Very funny, Chicken Boy!" Leo snorted. "But you wouldn't be laughing if you got pied in the face, got flour dumped on you and then got kicked into a pigpen and had the pigs try to bury you in mud!"

"Try being glued and feathered, Fearless leader!" Don shot back.

"Dudes! At least YOU weren't getting attacked by **rabid chickens**!" Mikey reminded them. "Give me a pie in the face or bugs all over me any day! You don't know what it's like being pecked and chased by KFC!"

Just then, the four guys heard a burst of laughter and turned to see Casey on the grass, rolling around in it, laughing like a maniac. April was hiding her mouth behind her hands, her body shaking with silent laughter and Master Splinter just looked very amused.

"You...guys...were...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Casey laughed, clutching his stomach and rolling in the grass, his index finger pointing at the four turtles.

"I'm sorry guys," April giggled. "I have to agree with Casey. You guys are...you look..." Then, she burst out laughing, doubling over, hands on her knees.

"As the ancient master once said, "The revenge a man is to be feared. The revenge of a woman is to be made legendary"," Master Splinter intoned wisely. Then, he snorted out a laugh. "Although in this case, I think the ancient master would be in a similar position as Mr. Jones."

"Wow. I knew we were good, but **this **tops **good**," said Makayla's voice from behind them. The four brothers whipped around and saw the girls standing nearby grouped together. Caroline was holding a cell phone in her hand before her finger slipped to a button at the side and then, the phone disappeared.

"Thanks guys," Caroline chuckled. "If you weren't giant turtles who know ninjitsu and are hiding from the world outside, I would send this to _America's Funniest Home Videos_! First prize guaranteed!"

"Care! Ya didn't!" Raph shouted, eyes wide with horror.

"Oh yes she did, Bug Boy," Tonya purred, smirking at her boyfriend. Raph was furious at having fell for such kid tricks, and in front of his own girlfriend too.

"Why, 'Liv?" Mikey asked, looking at his girlfriend. "Why?!"

"Simple sweetie," Olivia replied, smirking. "Revenge."

"Don't worry Donny," Samantha told the genius turtle. "The glue is soluble. Just take a nice dip in the lake, and it'll all be gone. Now, let's go eat girls. I'm **starving**."

"As long as there's no **mud pies** on the menu," Makayla said, her eyes on Leo, her frame shaking with silent laughter. Her girlfriends burst out laughing as they linked arms and headed into the farmhouse to celebrate their success with breakfast.

"We **gotta** get 'em back for dis!" Raph snapped, socking his fist into his hand.

"Oh we will," Leo assured his brothers, a strange, new glint in his eye. "We **will**."

* * *

Samantha flopped down onto the bed, exhausted. It had been a long, three weeks of non-stop dancing and rehearsing. At first, everyone had struggled to learn the steps they'd innovated from different dance movies and their own styles. Samantha knew that tempers were short, especially Tonya's, and she could feel the desperation that was hanging in the air around them. The auditions were fast approaching, and so far, they weren't getting anywhere though they were so focused. Then, Master Splinter had come in one day in the midst of a huge argument between the four girls and had given them some advice:

"Although focus is a great skill, it can also become a weakening poison," he'd advised. "Focus on the task at hand, but have fun. Do not think, just act. When you allow your confidence to shine through, you learn faster and perform better."

"Yes, Sensei." It had taken a few days, but thanks to heeding Sensei's advice, the routine was looking sharper and crisper than ever. Yet still, Samantha was worried. There was so much riding on this that it was driving sleep far from her, especially with little time before the auditions.

"You aren't going to become a better dancer by getting insomnia, Sam," said a voice from the window. She turned and saw Don sitting on the windowsill, gazing into the room. She quickly glanced at the alarm clock on the night table. It was just after 1 in the morning.

"What're **you** still doing up?" Sam whispered, gingerly sliding out of bed and tiptoeing across the room towards her boyfriend.

"I couldn't sleep," Don confessed. Then, he smiled. "Guess that little prank you pulled on us has me sleepless."

"Please! That happened, like, two weeks ago! You wanted to come and see me!" Samantha chuckled lightly. "Even when you've been pranked and caught on video, you can't keep away from me!"

"You're right," Don told her, seizing her around the waist and pulling her towards him. She had to duck quickly to avoid banging her head on the window and waking up the girls. There wasn't a lot of room on the narrow sill, so Don was sitting precariously close to the edge of it, his arms wrapped around his girlfriend's waist. "Did you have Yoshi put some sort of enchantment on me or something?"

"Donatello, I...Yoshi..."Samantha stammered out, but then she turned her head away as she thought of her mystic friend, killed by the Shredder's forces along with countless numbers of her friends and servants at the palace.

"I'm so stupid!" Don said, planting his face in his palm. "Samantha, I'm sorry! I forgot that he...that you...! _Je suis un idiot!_" _I'm a fool. _

"_Tu dois être un idiot pour certain, parce que ce sont les idiots qui tombent en amour, chéri,_" Samantha said, smiling as she saw his face turn up towards her, looking surprised. "_Tu as pensé que tu as la seule personne qui parlé français?_" _You must be a fool for certain, because it's fools __that fall in love, darling. You thought you were the only person who spoke French?_

"Come with me, _chérie_," he whispered as he climbed up to the roof. She wordlessly followed, grasping the two, green hands that dangled in front of her. She was pulled and onto the roof by the techno genius and was flat on her back, gazing at a star strewn sky.

"Wow!" Samantha breathed, causing Don to smile as he laid down beside her, gazing up at the stars.

"I know," he laughed quietly. "This is one of the reasons I love coming up here. On a clear night like this, the stars are amazing."

"They're so beautiful," she whispered as she watched them twinkle and shine in the dark, night sky. Then, her face was being turned away from the stars and onto the face of her genius boyfriend.

"No. **You** are beautiful," he told her before he pressed his lips to hers in a loving kiss. She kissed him back, seductively running her tongue along his bottom lip, causing him to moan and pin her to the roof underneath him.

"Damn it, Sam! Why do you **always** have to tempt me like this?!" Don demanded playfully as he kissed her neck, one of his hands sliding underneath her tank top and caressing her warm skin.

"Hey! It's not like the temptation doesn't go both ways!" Sam retorted, kissing his neck before returning to his lips. "But I think we should stop before we get too carried away, and your father, April and Casey get a better idea of our little...romantic night together a couple of nights ago."

"Alright," Don sighed, rolling off of her and looking at the stars again. "So, how long until the auditions for the contest?"

"A week," Samantha answered, gazing back up at the night sky. "We e-mailed them our info and everything last week. But, I...I... just...do you think we really have a chance, Donny?"

Don pressed a kiss to his girlfriend's forehead. "Of course you do. And I know you girls will get into the finals and win it too."

"I don't know. I mean, statistically speaking..."

"Screw statistics!" Don snorted.

"Such words of blasphemy from the genius turtle Hamato Donatello?! Is the world coming to an end?!"

"Of course not! But like a very wise woman once told me, statistics have been wrong before."

"You must respect this woman quite highly to quote."

"She's my life." Samantha snuggled into her turtle's plastron, feeling warmer when he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"Thanks, my turtle genius. You mean the world to me, too."

* * *

"Samantha Bushido, Makayla Norris, Olivia Fernandez, Tonya Harrison?" the backstage manager asked, a clipboard in his hand. He had a headset across his mop of blond curls, and his face was drawn and tired-looking.

"We're right here," Olivia answered, looking up from tying the laces of her black Converse sneakers. The girls were all similarly wearing black Converse sneakers, grey sweatpants and different colored tank tops: Samantha sported purple, Makayla blue, Olivia orange and Tonya red.

"You need a group name before the judges will see your audition," he informed them.

"A name?" Makayla repeated.

"Yes! A **name**! You know, something to call yourselves!" the man shot back sarcastically.

"No need to get snippy, pal!" Tonya snapped, sending him a glare. The man simply scoffed and then walked off to the side a little as the girls huddled.

"OK. We need a group name and fast," Samantha told them. "Any bright ideas?"

"How about something with our names? Like SMOT or TOMS," Makayla suggested.

"Next!" Tonya snorted. "That won't get the judges' attention. Other groups have done that."

"OK. How about something with the word "sisters" in it?" Olivia said. "I mean, we're pretty much family now. Hmmm...what about Hot Street Sisters?"

"Good. But not quite," Makayla told them.

"I've got it!" Samantha exclaimed. "What about South Side Sisters?!"

"Love it!" Olivia gushed.

"Awesome!" Makayla seconded.

"Not bad," Tonya agreed.

"You can tell the judges that the South Side Sisters are about to take the stage," Samantha informed the backstage manager, who nodded and then went to go and update the panel of judges.

"South Side Sisters?! More like South Side Losers!" came a mocking voice. The four girls turned to see a group of five blondes standing nearby. They were wearing tight leggings and tank tops that were obviously made to show massive amounts of skin. Their leader was in the forefront wearing a low-cut, pink tank top with black leggings that were almost see-through. Her blonde hair was up in a ponytail, and her green eyes were almost the same shade as Tonya's.

"Lizette Manswell! I should've recognized that bitchy, know-it-all tone from across the world!" Tonya snapped, narrowing her eyes at Lizette.

"Can you even **afford** to go around the world, Miss Slum Diva?" Lizette shot back, earning snickers and high-fives from her blond crew. "'Cause the last I heard, you were still living in that dank apartment complex in the ghetto with your brat sister and your loser of a cousin!"

"Why you little...!" Tonya snarled, flying forward towards Lizette, only to be grabbed back by Sam and Olivia.

"Easy, Tonya!" Olivia grunted, struggling to keep a hold on her best friend.

"She's not worth it!" Samantha added.

"You're one to talk Samantha Bushido!" Lizette told her. Samantha immediately let go of Tonya, forcing Olivia to hold on tight to Tonya.

"Excuse me?" Samantha demanded.

"Oh, don't try to act so innocent! It's pathetic!" Lizette scoffed. "Marcus told me how you abandoned him in that alleyway at the Sapphire Nightclub. How you let the Purple Dragons beat him to a pulp so much so that he lost an eye. Some girlfriend _you_ were!"

"Wow. And here I thought that dumb blondes were all but extinct," Samantha scoffed, narrowing her eyes at Lizette. "If you're gonna side with that lying, backstabbing, snake-in-the-grass...!"

"Watch how you talk about my man, Bushidodo!" Lizette snapped. "I'm captain of NYU's cheerleading squad and the girlfriend of the grandson of one of NYC's richest aging bachelors! So if I were you, I'd watch my tongue! Otherwise, things could get pretty ugly for you and your little..._friends_."

"Is that a threat?!" Makayla snarled, eyes locking with Lizette's. Samantha had never seen Makayla look so..._livid._ Her face was practically red with rage, and her eyes looked like she would have had the Devil begging her for mercy on his knees.

"No Big Mac!" Lizette chuckled darkly while her minions snickered behind her. "It's a **promise**."

"South Side Sisters! You're on!" the backstage manager called.

"See you in the finals!" Lizette sneered. "If you even make it that is!" With that, she and her girls turned in perfect sync and walked away. Samantha took a step forward, as if she wanted to go after them, but Makayla grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. Their eyes locked and the young blonde shook her head. Samantha nodded. Now wasn't the time for revenge or physical blows.

Now it was time to show the judges what they had.

* * *

"It's been hours since they left!" Mikey complained. He was lying on the sofa reading a comic book. Raph and Leo were in the middle of an intense sparring match, and Don was in his lab, working on more Utrom technology modifications.

"Calm down, Mikey!" Leo advised him, dodging a hit from Raph. "They said they'd come here and tell us when they're done."

"Which is right about...now!" declared the voice of Samantha as the turtles turned and saw the four girls standing close to the entrance of the Lair, their faces unreadable. Don hurried out of his lab as the four brothers gathered around the girls, waiting for the announcement.

"So? How'd it go?" Raph asked, getting straight to the heart of the matter.

"Well...the judges thought we were good," Olivia admitted.

"Though not as good as some of the other teams they'd seen in past years," Makayla finished. The four turtles' faces fell as they read into Makayla's silent message.

"We're so sorry, girls," Don said, pulling Samantha into his arms. He felt her arms wrap around his body, pressing closer to him. He could hear her sobbing slightly, but then, the sobbing turned into a steady, tumbling stream of laughter. Laughter?

"Why are you laughing?" Don asked, glancing down at his girlfriend.

"Because we got in, silly turtle!" Tonya exclaimed.

"WHAT?!" the four brothers shouted in shock. The girls all giggled and squealed.

"The judges said all that, and then said that we were a lot better because we actually looked like the dance was a part of us," Olivia explained. "That we didn't look and step like we were just in it for the money. We were "alive, hot and passionate for the dance", as Romero Tennyson put it."

"Romeo Tennyson? Da guy who was supposed ta dance at da World Dance Championship last year and broke five dance records?!" Raph demanded. "Dat guy's a legend!"

"Not to mention that he's got every girl on the planet falling at his feet," Olivia added. "I mean, the guy's on a whole other level of deliciously sexy!"

"Hey!" Mikey snapped.

"Other than **you**, sweetie," Olivia added, rolling her eyes playfully.

"I try," Mikey said, grinning and batting the air with one hand. Leo hid his face in his palm and shook his head in disbelief. Raph and Don rolled their eyes.

"The others were Patricia "Sweet P" Longmore and Omar Fisher," Makayla informed them.

"Uh-oh! Omar Fisher's one of the judges on _Dance Dance America_," Don reminded them. "And he's the toughest out of all of them to impress."

"We know," Tonya replied.

"He was cool with our dance routine and let us in the competition, but then he said, "But if you ladies want to win me over during the competition, you need to revolutionize the name of dance"," Samantha told them. "And I told him that he'd see a whole new creation of dance that the world would forever remember and adore."

"Way to go, girls!" Mikey cheered, giving them two thumbs up.

"We even got tickets for our friends and families to come and support us," Makayla told them. She was holding an envelope stuffed with tickets. "You guys will come, right?"

"We wouldn't miss it for the world, Mac," Leo replied, smiling at her warmly. "Where's it happening?"

"Central Park," Olivia answered. "They're setting up a huge stage and a whole bunch of bleachers. It's invite-only, and security's gonna be tight, guys. So...you going in mutant form or human form?"

"Well, Leo and Raph will be backstage with you girls in human form," Don explained. "Mikey and I...we'll be hidden there in case something happens. We don't wanna take any chances."

"And what about Master Splinter and April and Casey?" Tonya inquired.

"Master Splinter..." Leo began.

"Will be coming to ensure that his sons do not get themselves into trouble," the elderly rat finished as he walked into view, leaning on his walking stick. "As usual."

"C'mon Sensei!" Raph protested. "It's a dance contest! What kind o' trouble could we possibly find there?!"

"I do not know," Master Splinter replied sternly. "And I do not wish to know either. The matter is settled. Donatello, please make a fifth chain for me."

"I'll call April and Casey and see if they're down with coming," Mikey said, digging out his Shell-cell.

"And Master Splinter, could you keep them from killing each other, please?!" Caroline begged Master Splinter. "The last thing we need is those two causing the girls to lose focus because they're ready to murder each other?"

"I don't think that's gonna be necessary, Care," Tonya chuckled as the others all smiled at one another. Caroline just looked confused.

"Well, we hate to run off like this," Samantha said, planting a kiss on Don's lips before pulling away from him, "but we've got some **serious** practicing to do. We'll see you around." With that, the girls left the Lair.

"We need to make sure they win that contest!" Leo declared, smacking a fist into his palm.

"And I think I know just how to do it," Don said, smiling. "Huddle up, guys. I've got an idea."

* * *

It was hard to believe that two months had flown by so quickly. But as the South Side Sisters stood backstage, none of them could deny that this was real. That they, four, ordinary, teenage girls, had put together a routine that'd impressed internationally-renowned judges and won themselves a coveted spot in Battle Dance XIX, H.P.Z. Radio's most televised competition. Even as they watched a group of fourteen year olds do a crisp routine to PSY's "Gangnam Style", the excitement had yet to wear off.

It had been difficult trying to juggle rehearsals with their coursework, especially since their finals had been a top priority. But somehow, with a lot of help from each other, a few of their classmates, and Donatello, the girls had survived their final essays and exams, and were now awaiting their grades. But that was one of the least of their problems. Right now, they had to focus on dancing to compete with three teams that'd scored in the mid-twenties with the judges.

"I still can't believe that we're actually here!" Olivia breathed in amazement.

"Neither can I!" came the snobby voice of Lizette Manswell. The girls turned to see Lizette and her friends standing close by. They were dressed in booty shorts with low-cut tank tops that didn't even reach their bellybuttons. "I thought this competition was for serious competitors only!"

"We **are** serious, Lizette!" Makayla snapped, her calm and cool demeanor vanishing like morning mist. "That's why the judges chose us!"

"Well, everyone loves an underdog," Lizette snickered, her girls echoing their leader's obnoxious laughter.

"You'd know all about being a dog, wouldn't you, bitch?!" Olivia snarled, causing Sam to take a step back. Sweet, kind Olivia had suddenly grown claws? This was as shocking as it was welcome.

"Watch your tongue, Fernandez!" one of the blondes snapped. Her hair was done in pigtails, and her eyes were blue. Her nose was flat and pug-like.

"How about you come and make me?!" Olivia challenged.

"I think I just...!"

"Is there a problem here, ladies?" Leonardo asked as he and Raph strolled onto the scene not a minute too soon. Sam smiled as she took in Leo's black jeans and blue shirt. Raph had on leather pants and wore a blood-red shirt with an impressive, leather jacket over it. As usual, both of them looked ridiculously gorgeous.

"No. At least, not anymore," Lizette purred, sidling up close to Leo and batting her mascara-covered lashes. "Hi. I'm Lizette. And **you** are?"

"Leonardo," he answered, stepping slightly away from her. "And this is my brother, Raphael."

"Charmed," she said, nodding at Raph, but her eyes slid right back onto Leo. Beside her, Samantha could feel Makayla stewing in anger. She knew how the poor girl felt. She was having to resist letting the _tengu_ take over her right now and giving her the powers to send this girl flying back a few centuries. How dare she flirt with Leo in front of his own girlfriend; in front of **her**!

"So, Leonardo. What are you doing here?" she asked flirtatiously.

"Samantha and the girls are friends of me and my brothers," Leo explained. "We came to watch them compete."

"Please! Those girls couldn't dance even if Sweet P spent years with them!" Lizette scoffed, moving back into Leo's space. "Now...a girl like me could **really** show you some moves...if you know what I mean." By this time, she was dragging her manicured nails down his arm, all up in his face, when Makayla shoved past Samantha and gripped Lizette's arm, tossing her far from Leo. Lizette stumbled back as Makayla stood in front of her boyfriend, eyes narrowed, teeth clenched.

"Come near my boyfriend again, Barbie, and I'll **seriously** make you regret it!" she growled. Lizette opened her mouth to say something, but just then, the host called out, "Next up, The Fusion Crew of N.Y.U.!" Cheers and applause promptly followed as Lizette tossed her hair back and sent one final smirk at the girls and a wink at Leo before she sauntered onto the stage with her crew.

"Barbie Bitch!" Tonya muttered under her breath.

"Mac!" Leo breathed in amazement as his girlfriend turned and faced him, her eyes still blazing. "How did you...? Why did...?" Suddenly, Makayla threw herself onto Leo, kissing him hard. Leo kissed her back, his arms around her.

"Good Lord!" Raph muttered, shielding his eyes. "This is too much!"

"Speaking of which, check out the Fusion Crew," Olivia told them, peering around the corner of the backstage area. Samantha and Tonya hurried over with Raph, Leo and Makayla trailing behind. Samantha gasped when she heard the song they were dancing to:

_California girls  
We're unforgettable  
Daisy Dukes  
Bikinis on top  
Sun-kissed skin  
So hot  
We'll melt your popsicle  
Oooooh Oh Oooooh_

"California Girls?! Really?!" Makayla asked in horror. "I love Katy Perry and everything, but this is one song that I could do without!"

"Oh, you've **got** to be kidding!" Tonya snapped in disgust as she watched Lizette and her crew grinding against the male, backup dancers and twisting their bodies like they were pole dancers.

"Never thought I'd say dis, but man! Dis dancing is slutty even ta me!" Raph commented, sounding one hundred percent disgusted._  
_  
_California girls  
We're undeniable  
Fine, fresh, fierce  
We got it on lock  
West coast represent  
Now put your hands up  
Oooooh Oh Oooooh_

"Great! And the judges seem to like it! Look!" Samantha told them. Romeo Tennyson was bopping his head along with the track, Sweet P was smiling, and Omar Fisher was watching with a cool expression on his face. Finally, just as the song was ending, a flourish of confetti was released upon the girls. The crowds roared and cheered as the judges gave their opinions. The first two gave the girls raving reviews, but Omar was a lot harder on them than Samantha and the girls had thought he would be. Nevertheless, Lizette and her friends then hurried back stage and awaited their score, high-fiving and squealing.

"And now, the judges' scores," the announcer said. "Romeo Tennyson?"

"10!" Romero shouted, holding a golden oval with the number "10" on it. The crowds screamed.

"Patricia Longmore?"

"10!" she shouted, holding up a "10" oval. Lizette and the Fusion crew screamed and jumped for joy as though they'd been declared the winners already.

"Omar Fisher?"

"8!" he yelled, holding up an "8" oval. Lizette and the girls screamed as the host announced that they were now in first place.

"Beat **that**, South Side Losers!" Lizette cackled in triumph, jumping for joy and hugging her girls.

"How **can** we beat 28?!" Tonya whispered, sounding frustrated and angry. "I knew we should've **never** entered this contest! We can't beat them!"

"Yes you can, Tonya!" Leo countered strongly. "You girls have been practicing for a good time now. And if you start worrying, it's only gonna make things worse!"

"He's right," Samantha seconded. "Remember what Master Splinter told us back at the farmhouse: don't think, just do. Too much focus can be harmful, but just the right amount and a show of confidence will get you through. And I'm gonna go out there and show those judges a thing or two!"

"Sammy's right!" Olivia agreed. "I'm in!" Olivia placed her hand on top of Samantha's hand.

"Me too!" Makayla added, putting her hand in. All eyes turned to Tonya. She turned and looked at Raph.

"C'mon Tonya," he encouraged. "Show me how much of a badass dancer you can be."

"You got it, Raphie Boy," she said, smirking and placing her hand on top of the others.

"I'm gonna let dat slide," Raph said, narrowing his eyes. "For **now**." Tonya smirked and blew him a kiss.

"South Side Sisters on three!" Samantha shouted. "One! Two! Three!"

"SOUTH SIDE SISTERS!" they all shouted, throwing up their hands just as the host announced, "So give it up for the South Side Sisters!" Hurrying onto the stage, the girls took their positions while Leo and Raph watched from backstage.

"Ya really think dey got a chance, Leo?" Raph inquired.

"Provided that Donny's got everything in place," Leo answered, watching as Olivia took center stage. "But the rest is up to the girls. And I don't doubt that they've got what it takes to win."

* * *

Olivia smiled at the judges as she took her place at center stage. The backup dancers, half of them male and the other half female, lined up behind her in the formation that they'd practiced. With a nod to the DJ, the track started and Olivia and the dancers begun their routine with a few, slow movements.

_The sun goes down  
The stars come out  
And all that counts  
Is here and now  
My universe will never be the same  
I'm glad you came_

The driving beat now filled the air of the crowded park as fan girls screamed and cheered as Olivia and the dancers picked up their pace, their moves become faster yet still crisp and stylish.

_You cast a spell on me, spell on me  
You hit me like the sky fell on me, fell on me  
And I decided you look well on me, well on me  
So let's go somewhere no one else can see, you and me_

Turn the lights out now  
Now I'll take you by the hand  
Hand you another drink  
Drink it if you can  
Can you spend a little time,  
Time is slipping away,  
Away from us so stay,  
Stay with me I can make,  
Make you glad you came

Olivia had turned up the heat by tossing off her sweater, revealing an amazing, orange shirt with a big number "16" on it. She wore black sweats with orange hearts on them and there was a driver's cap resting on top of her curled hair. Sneakers tapping and smacking against the wood of the stage, neon lights flickering across her skin and those of her fellow dancers, she was dancing at the top of her form._  
__  
The sun goes down  
The stars come out  
And all that counts  
Is here and now  
My universe will never be the same  
I'm glad you came  
I'm glad you came_

Just then, Tonya paraded onto the stage sporting a red corset underneath a leather jacket. Motorcycle boots and black tights were the order of the day, and her fiery-red hair sparkled under the now-crimson spotlights that rotated. Lightly brushing her hand, there was a slight scratch, like the one a record would make when a DJ scratched it to make the song even more amazing. But for the girls, it was the sound of transition from one song to the next. Olivia did a turn and placed one hand on her hip, pretending to looked peeved that Tonya had interrupted her dance routine. Then Tonya's song kicked in:

_Why am I always hit on by the boys I never like  
I can always see 'em coming from the left and from the right  
I don't want to be a priss, I just try to be polite  
But it always seems to bite me in the –_

With a rocker's attitude, Tonya's hips were shaking, her hair was flying and her feet were moving, the dancers in sync with her outrageous, fast-paced movements.

___Ask me for my number, yeah you put me on the spot  
You think that we should hook-up, but I think that we should not  
You had me at hello, then you opened up your mouth  
And that is when it started going south  
Oh!_

One of the dancers grabbed Tonya around the waist, trying to grind up against her. Tonya quickly turned and threw a punch that "hit" him and he stumbled back, catching a supposedly swollen jaw as the chorus of the song kicked in:

_Get your hands off my hips, 'fore I'll punch you in the lips  
Stop your staring at my— Hey!  
Take a hint, take a hint_

Tonya's next move stole the show as she took of her leather jacket and tossed it to Romeo Tennyson, who caught it and slouched down in his chair, pretending to faint from sheer shock. Then, he made a huge show of fanning himself as if it was the hottest thing he'd ever seen. The crowd went wild, and Samantha could've sworn she'd heard Raph's whistle as his girl continued to dance.

_No you can't buy me a drink, let me tell you what I think  
I think you could use a mint  
Take a hint, take a hint  
La, La, La….  
T-take a hint, take a hint  
La, La, La…._

Then, Samantha sashayed onto the stage wearing cowboy boots, a red tank top and blue jeans with a bull on the buckle of the belt. A brown cowboy hat was perched on her head, and she stepped like she was the Sheriff of a Western town. Tonya immediately stomped out her last move as the scratch came again and Samantha waved her offstage, jutting her hip out to the side. The dancers looked at one another and then busted out cowboy hats of their own as the song began:

_Hey, good girl (hey, good girl)  
With your head in the clouds  
I bet you I can tell you  
What you're thinkin' about_

You'll see a good boy (you see a good boy)  
Gonna give you the world  
But he's gonna leave you cryin'  
With your heart in the dirt

Samantha was dancing like she was in a halftime show at a football game in Texas or one of the other Southern states. She glanced at the judges' table and saw that Patricia "Sweet P" was up and dancing with her. Romeo had one hand whirling above his head like he was twirling a lasso over it. Omar's expression was curious as he watched one of the dancers flip Samantha, who grabbed onto his neck and pulled his head down close to hers as she did the splits.

_His lips are dripping honey  
But he'll sting you like a bee  
So lock up all your love and  
Go and throw away the key_

Hey good girl (hey, good girl)  
Get out while you can  
I know you think you got a good man

Pulling a few moves from the movie _Footloose_, Samantha and the backup dancers were rocking it out Western style as the song's chorus kicked in with the lights flickering in golden-yellow and red:

_Why, why you gotta be so blind?  
Won't you open up your eyes?  
It's just a matter of time 'til you find  
He's no good, girl  
No good for you  
You better get to getting on your goodbye shoes_

The crowd was singing along with them as their movements slowed down a bit to match the tempo of the song. But it didn't mean that Samantha didn't put every last bit of effort into every, single move.

_ And go, go, go...  
Better listen to me  
He's low, low, low..._

Finally, Makayla stepped confidently onto the stage sporting black, mesh glovettes, a black tank top with a black, gothic skirt. Leggings of red and black covered her legs and led down to her red Converse sneakers. Her hair was up in a bun on her head, and as she sauntered into the spotlight, the scratch once again signaling a change in song. Hip-checking Samantha lightly out of the way, she could feel the pressure settling on her. Hers was the last dance before their grand finale. She had to leave a lasting impression on the judges. And no matter how hard it was, she'd do it. Then, the song started and Makayla got into her zone:

_Plug in the mic, open the curtains  
Turn on the lights, I'm through rehearsing  
The feeling ignites, I'm in control_  
_The crowds in the palm of my hands  
All my fans stand_

Makayla's moves were crisp and full of attitude as she and the dancers moved to the beat of Lucy Hale's song. Spins and hip shakes were all included as the young judo student put her heart and soul into this last solo dance. The lights were blue and purple, and spinning round and round like they would in a club.

_What is the truth?  
What's an illusion?  
You're searching for proof  
But are you certain?  
Whatever you see is what you get  
If words paint a picture then  
I betcha I can getcha yet_

I'll make you believe in me  
I can be what you want me to be  
Tonight is the night  
Where I make you see  
That I can be anything  
Anything, anything

Doing a front flip, she landed feet first on the judges' table directly in front of Omar Fisher, who was seated at the end of the long table. Busting out her best moves, she danced in front of him and the other judges to the screams and cheers of the entire audience.

_I'll make you believe in me  
I can be what you want me to be  
Tonight is the night  
Where I make you see  
That I can be anything  
Anything, anything_

Doing a backflip, she landed like a ninja as the final words of her song were followed by the familiar scratch. But instead of a fifth song immediately, the girls quickly got into their formation for their grand finale masterpiece song. The backup dancers also took their positions as the music now started:

_You don't have to feel like a wasted space  
You're original, cannot be replaced  
If you only knew what the future holds  
After a hurricane comes a rainbow_

Screams and cheers erupted from the audience as the girls and their backup dancers performed their routine with precision and execution. Dipping and thrusting their arms out in sync, the routine was sharp, full of life, but most of all, to Samantha and her girlfriends, it was fun. They forgot all about the judges and just focused on executing the moves they'd rehearsed.__

Maybe your reason why all the doors are closed  
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road  
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow  
And when it's time, you'll know

You just gotta ignite the light, and let it shine  
Just own the night like the 4th of July

'Cause baby you're a firework  
Come on, show 'em what you're worth  
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"  
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Samantha, Olivia, Makayla and Tonya spun, stepped and pumped in complete sync with each other so much so that it looked like only one person was dancing. It was beyond impressive.__

Baby, you're a firework  
Come on, let your colours burst  
Make 'em go "Oh, Oh, Oh"  
You're gonna leave 'em all in "awe, awe, awe"

"Donny?! You ready?" Leo asked through the Shell-cell headset as he watched the girls dancing. They were all so graceful and sharp with their movements as they danced through the bridge of the song. _And hopefully Donny's little "surprise" will put them out on top over that snobby Lizette and her crew!_ Leo thought to himself, chuckling slightly as he remembered the livid look on Mac's face when she'd told Lizette to back off of him. She was so cute when she was angry.

"We're pretty much done," Don replied. "And not a moment too soon. Our time's coming up in a few seconds."_  
'Cause baby you're a firework  
Come on, show 'em what you're worth  
Make 'em go "Oh, Oh, Oh"  
As you shoot across the sky-y-y_

"Now, Mikey!" Don shouted through his headset. With that, Don and Mikey both held the lit matches to the fuses of the fireworks they'd set up and covered their ears as they shot off into the sky above the girls, exploding in a symphonic mirage of colorful hues ranging from red to pink.

_Baby, you're a firework  
Come on, let your colours burst  
Make 'em go "Oh, Oh, Oh"  
You're gonna leave 'em all in "awe, awe, awe"_

More fireworks lit up the night sky to the amazement of the audience, the judges, and the four girlfriends themselves. But they didn't allow this pleasant surprise to startle them even slightly. Instead, with this added prop, the girls gave it their all as the song began winding down.

_Boom, boom, boom  
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon  
Boom, boom, boom  
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon_

Brightly colored confetti erupted from the rafters above the girls as they posed, one hand in the air in triumph, eyes turned up to the sky as the audience members, Patricia and Romeo leapt to their feet and gave them a standing ovation. The girls joined hands and bowed together. Then, they turned to their backup dancers and bowed to them as well, showing their respect and appreciation for all their hard work.

"We did it, girls!" Olivia whispered happily.

"We killed it!" Makayla seconded.

"Let's see what the judges thought of that first," Tonya told them.

"I agree," Samantha told them as they all turned towards the judges' table. Romeo and Patricia were all smiles, but Omar's face was unreadable.

"Ladies. In all my years of dancing, I have **never** seen anything like this!" Romeo exclaimed as the audience screamed with delight at the positive tone in his voice. "**This** was dancing! I could see the passion, the frustration; feel the sensuality and the determination! You put your hearts into this routine, something the other teams lacked. When you, the one in the corset, when you took off that jacket and tossed it to me, I was just like, "That was HOT!" This was hot, sexy, flawless dancing, and I **loved** it!" The crowds screamed and cheered as Patricia smiled at the girls.

"Can I ask you girls something? Have you ever danced like this before?" Patricia asked. The girls shook their heads, and Patricia's smile only widened. "Wow! Now...I'm shocked! You girls **did not** display that you were the underdogs in this competition! Your moves were crisp, precise, and I agree with Romeo. You girls had that fire, that passion, when you danced. And the fireworks were an amazing touch! I wouldn't be surprised if you girls won this competition! You gave it your all, and I was incredibly impressed with what I saw!" More screams and cheers followed as the girls squeezed hands and smiled as all eyes now turned to Omar Fisher, who was leaning back in his chair.

"Personally, I was...to be completely honest...horrified," Omar told them. Boos rang out through the crowd as Patricia and Romeo turned to argue with their co-judge. The girls were crestfallen.

"Let me finish," Omar continued, sensing the attacks that were coming. "Ladies, I'm horrified by the fact that none of the other dance crews we've had compete in this competition ever thought of doing something **this friggin' brilliant!**" Jaws dropped open in shock and delight as the crowds cheered at the changing tide of news. Patricia and Romeo were now smiling and looked calmer.

"This is what I've been wanting to see for a long time: showing that different types of dance can come together and create something...incredible! I saw the hip-hop artist, the punk rocker, the country cowgirl, and the pop princess! And then, I saw them all say, "Screw our differences! Let's dance together to Katy Perry's "Firework", which celebrates uniqueness and yet unifies everything it touches!" Well done, ladies! You kept your promise to impress me!" Numerous people in the crowd now leapt to their feet and applauded the girls as they hurried backstage to where Leo, Mikey, Don and Raph were waiting for them with Master Splinter, April, who was holding a small bouquet of flowers, Casey and a wide-eyed, beaming Caroline.

"You girls were amazing!" April gushed as she hugged each of the girls. Casey simply gave them two thumbs-up, and Master Splinter's proud, fatherly smile was enough to make the girls squeal with delight. It was then that Makayla noticed the flowers in April's hand.

"Who gave you those, April?" she asked, pointing to the flowers.

"Casey did," April answered, causing the four girls to turn and smirk knowingly at each other before they turned back to April and Casey.

"So, was this whole thing a date between the two of you or what?" Tonya chuckled, looking at both April and Casey. Casey blushed a little, but April revealed nothing.

"Girls! It was just me and Casey, and it wasn't a date!" April groaned, rolling her eyes.

"Right, April. And Mikey's the King of Portugal," Olivia muttered, causing Leo and Don to snicker.

"You rocked, dudettes!" Mikey exclaimed, high-fiving each of the girls. "You totally have this contest in the bag!"

"Let's hope so, Mikey. Let's hope so," Samantha said as she spotted Lizette and her Fusion Crew nearby, all of whom were sending death glares to the four girlfriends.

"And now the judges' scores," the announcer said. "Romeo Tennyson?"

"10!" Romero shouted, holding a golden oval with the number "10" on it. The crowds screamed.

"Patricia Longmore?"

"10!" she shouted, holding up a "10" oval. Samantha crossed her fingers as Tonya looked up at the sky, Makayla squeezed her eyes closed and Olivia grasped Mikey's hand tightly in her own.

"Omar Fisher?"

"Girls," he sang, smiling as he slowly picked up his chosen score. "10!" he declared, holding up a "10" oval. Screams and cheers erupted both from the audience and backstage as Samantha jumped into Don's arms and he spun her around, lifting her feet off of the ground. Olivia, Mikey and Caroline were doing crazy dances of joy, Tonya was standing beside Raph, smiling as silent tears of joy poured down her cheeks as he hugged her tightly around her waist, and Makayla and Leo were locked in a passionate kiss. Casey and April were hugging (but let go when they saw some of the others staring with smirks on their faces), and Master Splinter's smile simply widened.

"Well, that does it, folks!" the host shouted. "With a perfect score of 30, the winners of H.P.Z. Radio's Battle Dance XIX are the South Side Sisters! Ladies! Come on out here and get your trophy and prize money!"

Hurrying back onto the stage, the girls' smiles rivaled the brightness of the Sun as Olivia took the gold trophy that had a large, four-pointed crown on the head that was embedded with a few, red gems with Makayla, one on each handle. Samantha and Tonya held the wide, $50,000 check in their hands and smiled as camera bulbs flashed, the audience cheered and clapped, and the knowledge that they'd beaten the odds and won Battle Dance XIX sunk into their minds.

* * *

The Bushido mansion was humming with excitement and celebration as everyone congregated in the enormous portion of the backyard for a huge after party. Uncle Kenji, who'd watched the entire competition from his office penthouse, had been overjoyed for his niece and her friends, and had called her to not only congratulate them, but also to offer them full use of the mansion for a celebration party. He'd made the arrangements and everything would be set up and ready for them when they got there. Of course, the guys were all too willing to accept Uncle Kenji's proposal. But Samantha hadn't expected anything less from them. After all they'd gone through in the past months, a party was the perfect remedy.

Japanese lanterns were lit and hung on wires that ran around the entire yard as drinks (alcoholic and otherwise) flowed and food was abundant. Olivia and Makayla were in the middle of taking pictures with Master Splinter and the trophy. Music blared from loudspeakers as Mikey spun a few tracks (he admitted that he'd always wanted to try his hand at being a DJ. And he wasn't half bad either). Tonya was munching on some potato chips and a chicken-and-shrimp kebab when she saw Raph and Casey drinking beer. They weren't really drunk yet, but by the way Raph was chugging it down, he was on his way to getting wasted, Tonya could tell. Her temper immediately flared as she stormed over to the two.

"Hey baby. What's up?" Raph asked, his voice a little slurred as he held the bottle with one hand and wrapped his other arm around Tonya's waist.

"You're drunk! **That's** what's up!" Tonya snapped, tearing herself away from him. Raph's eyes immediately narrowed. "My father was a drunk in case you've forgotten!"

"Uh...I think I hear Leo calling me," Casey said, stepping back and hurrying a safe distance away.

"So?! It's just a little recreational drinking, Tonya!" Raph argued. "Ain't I allowed ta indulge every now and then?!"

"That's exactly what my father said to me, Raphael! Before he would get so drunk that he'd never remember almost beating me!"

"Why's it such a big deal, woman?! WHY?!"

"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!" Silence. Raph's jaw dropped open as Tonya's flushed face grew redder with her blush coming on top.

"What?"

"I...I...I love you, Raph. And I know what alcohol can do to an amazing guy. My father wasn't always a creep. But the alcohol and his own inability to cope with grief turned him into a monster. I don't wanna see you turn out like my father or get liver problems or something later on in life. I...I care about you too much to see you do this to yourself."

"Tonya, I...I'm sorry," Raph apologized, putting the bottle down on the nearby table and pulling the redhead into his arms. "I didn't know my drinking affected you dis much. And...if ya want me ta stop, because I...I...I love ya too...I'll quit."

"Take it slow though, Raphael," Tonya advised. "I mean, maybe I was being a little uptight about it, but I guess having a sip of wine or beer on Christmas or New Year's never killed anyone."

"Da hard stuff's gone though, babe," he told her. "Vodka, rum, all dat crap. I don't wanna hurt you. All I want is for ya ta be happy, and if dat means that I quit drinking, den I'll do it."

"You're amazing, Raphael," Tonya said, smiling as she planted a loving kiss on her boyfriend's lips. He kissed her back, biting her bottom lip playfully.

"Maybe ya should tell me dat more often," he whispered, smirking against her lips.

"Whatever, Hothead!" Tonya snickered, shoving him away playfully. "Now, I say we hold a toast and **really** get this party started! Where's Samantha and Donatello?"

"Donny's kinda busy with da Princess right now," Raph explained. He laughed a little when he saw Tonya's shocked face. "Easy, Tonya! It ain't nothing like dat! It's just...well, let's just say dat Turtle Einstein's celebrating more dan just his girlfriend and her gal pals winning a dance contest."

* * *

"I still don't see what it is you wanted to give me that you couldn't downstairs," Samantha said, lying in the chaise close to her dresser. She was lying in Don's arms and had changed into a red, knee-length dress that was made of lightweight material and shimmered in the light of her room.

"Well...if I'd made a big show of it, my brothers probably would've thought I was planning to marry you or something," Don chuckled. He was still in human form as he dug out a large, black, velvet box from his jacket pocket. Samantha gasped as Don sat up straighter, pulling her up with him. "Relax, Sam. It's not a ring." He opened it to reveal a beautiful, gold bracelet with several gold crescent moons, stars and miniature Eiffel Towers attached to it.

"Donny!" she breathed in shock as he hooked it onto her wrist. "Where...where did you find this?!"

"In a jewelry store we passed by while we were on patrol one night," Don replied, smiling. "I saw it in the window, and...well...I just knew I had to get it for you."

"But...but...why?"

"Samantha. It's our six-month anniversary today, and...I wanted to get you something really special."

"Our **anniversary?!** Oh my gosh! I'm such a horrible girlfriend! I completely forgot!"

"Samantha, relax! I wasn't expecting anything from you, anyways. Besides, winning that contest for me was an amazing present!"

"We couldn't have done it without you and Mikey doing all the lighting and the fireworks, Donny! First that, and now a bracelet that must've cost you a fortune, all just for being with me for six months?! I don't know how to thank you." Don placed the box on the floor and gently cupped her cheek in his palm.

"A kiss would be a good place to start," he suggested, smiling wickedly before Samantha leaned in and kissed him. It was slow and loving at first, but then, a spark ignited and soon, Sam found herself lying back on the chaise, her arms around Don's neck, his body pressed against hers.

"And where would be a good place to end?" she whispered, breaking away from the kiss momentarily. Don stared down at her, breathing hard slightly, a smirk on his face.

"You've got an I.Q. of 176, Samantha," he chuckled, kissing her neck. "Do I **really** need to fill in the blanks for you?"

"Wow. You've really started to become a bit more..._aggressive_ when it comes to things like this, Donny," Samantha observed, her breath catching in her throat as she felt his lips on her neck.

"Does that turn you on?" he asked, smirking.

"Maybe," she shot back playfully, smiling before he kissed her hard, pushing her back down onto the chaise. Her hands slid up under his shirt and traced his abs as his fingers tangled in her hair. Just then, a cough came and Samantha immediately bolted upright, knocking skulls with her boyfriend hard as they both turned to see Leo standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest.

"Yeesh, Leo!" Don snapped, the pain in his head throbbing as he sat up straight. "Haven't you ever heard of **knocking**?!"

"I didn't think you'd have her pinned underneath you and shoving your tongue down her throat, Donny," Leo threw back, rolling his eyes.

"Enough, you two!" Samantha snapped, getting up from the chaise and ignoring the pain in her own head. "Is there something that you needed, Leonardo?"

"Just came to tell you that we're starting the toasting right now," Leo answered, his eyes still hard when he looked at Don. Samantha tugged at Don's hand and he finally followed her and Leo out of Samantha's room and downstairs to the backyard where the party was taking place. Mikey lowered the music down and then headed over to the table near the pool where the trophy was standing, twinkling in the light of the setting sun.

Taking up a glass of champagne from a nearby table, Leo held his until everyone had a glass. Then, he raised it into the air.

"Well...we're all here because four, young women took up a challenge and succeeded," Leo told everyone, smiling at the four girls. "Makayla, Olivia, Tonya, Samantha. Congratulations on winning Battle Dance XIX. You earned it, and we're all so proud of you."

"To our girls!" Leo declared, raising his champagne glass to the sky.

"To our girls!" the others replied, cheering as they clinked glasses with one another. The four girlfriends smiled at one another.

"Thanks, everyone," Tonya jumped in. "But before we do anymore toasts, I have something I'd like to say. April," she said, turning to the redhead. "Some of the prize money is being given to you to help rebuild your place. Samantha told us what happened, and...well...this is the least we can do for family."

"Tonya, I couldn't," April answered. "You and Care...you both need..."

"We'll be fine with half of the prize money, April," Caroline reassured her. "You're family. This is the least we can do. Right girls?"

"Absolutely," the four girls replied unanimously. April smiled.

"Thanks girls," she said, scooping them all into a group hug. Soon, the guys all joined in and turned a girls-only hug into a tangled-up mess of arms.

"And I also want to toast Leonardo, his brothers and Master Splinter for slaying the Shredder!" Samantha shouted, raising her glass to the sky. "Turtles and Splinter forever!"

"Turtles and Splinter forever!" everyone shouted, clinking glasses again.

"And I wish to toast my family," Master Splinter said firmly, holding his glass up in his paw. "My sons, and now, my daughters. All of you have made my life that much richer. I am proud to be the father of so many wonderful children. To family!"

"To family," Leo said, adding his glass beside Master Splinter's.

"To family," Samantha said, joining her glass beside Leo's.

"To family," Don seconded, putting his glass beside hers.

"To family," Olivia added, joining in.

"To family," Mikey agreed, placing his glass next to Olivia's.

"Ta family," Raph said, putting his glass in.

"To family," Tonya joined in, putting her glass close to Raph's.

"To family," Makayla, Caroline, April and Casey all said together, completing the circle of champagne glasses. Then, as one, they all clinked glasses and cheered and celebrated as the setting sun vanished in the western skies. But as the moon rose bright yet dim, the party went on strong as Samantha and her friends celebrated their victory at Battle Dance XIX, the Shredder's defeat and the fact that no matter what happened now or in the future, they now had another family that they could turn to. And for them, that prize was worth a whole lot more than any check or any trophy.

**Me: *walks in with IceColdFever* What's up homies?! *tries to look gangster***

**Leo: Seriously, Livangel16? Never do that again.**

**Raph: I agree with Fearless over here. Dat was horrible.**

**Me: Haters! Anyways, this is my visiting fan, IceColdFever. Be nice to her.**

**Leo: Hey.**

**Raph: Sup?**

**IceColdFever: It's great to finally meet all of you! You have NO idea how long I've been wanting to come here.**

**Raph: Couldn't stay away from me, huh doll? *flexes his muscles and tries to look impressive by posing* Well I don't blame ya. I mean, I am the most popular turtle here ya know.**

**Leo: Oh brother!**

**IceColdFever: Actually...I'm here to visit Donatello! Don't take this the wrong way Raph, but Don's genius brain is what makes him so...attractive! I mean, muscles are nice, but they can't beat brains like his! Plus, he's totally cute and a complete sweetheart. No offense.**

**Me: Ouch!**

**Leo: Donny! You've got a visiting fan! Again!**

**Donny: *comes running in with Mikey close behind him* WHERE?! WHERE?! WHERE?!**

**IceColdFever: OH MY GOD! DONATELLO! *fan girl screams and tackles him to the ground in a hug***

**Mikey: Take it easy there, dudette! Don't wanna break him! *helps IceColdFever off of Donatello***

**IceColdFever: I'm sorry! My penname's IceColdFever. It's just...you're just SO AWESOME! I mean, you're a genius, you invent the coolest things, and...well...I think that Samantha's lucky to have you for a boyfriend! You're seriously cute and a total sweetheart!**

**Don: *blushes* Aw. Thanks!**

**Mikey: What about me, IceColdFever? *does puppydog face***

**IceColdFever: Aww! Of course you're awesome too, Mikey! Everybody loves you!**

**Me: So...what should we do now?**

**Mikey: Let's go on patrol!**

**Leo: We haven't done that in a while.**

**Raph: I've been wanting to kick the shell outta those Purple Dragon scum for a while now!**

**Don: Sure. *turns to me and IceColdFever* You girls wanna come with too?**

**IceColdFever: Is the pythagoream thereom a-squared plus b-squared equals c-squared?**

**Me: What she said.**

**Don: You're incredible, IceColdFever. Come on. I'll get you girls some ninja suits and weapons. *hands me a red ninja suit along with a narigata and IceColdFever a purple ninja suit along with a sword. Me and IceColdFever put on ninja suits and go out on patrol with the guys. IceColdFever beats up twelve Purple Dragons and stops a robbery-in-progress with Donatello. aphael pummels ten Purple Dragons, Mikey pummels five, Leo pummels thirteen Foot Ninjas, and I bash Shredder in the head and send him back to Hell. Everyone comes back.***

**IceColdFever: That...was...AMAZING! I felt so alive, so free, so...so...NEEDED!**

**Donatello: You were pretty incredible, IceColdFever. And...well...I hope you'll come soon and visit. I mean, I don't get many visiting fans.**

**IceColdFever: Don't worry about it, Donny. Just know that there are dozens of fans out there who love you just as much as I do.**

**Donatello: Really?**

**IceColdFever: Really. Thanks for inviting me, Livangel16. I had a really good time. Bye, everyone.**

**Me, Leo, Mikey, Raph and Don: Bye, IceColdFever! *IceColdFever waves and then leaves***

**Don: FINALLY! I GET LOVE FROM VISITING FANS! So, is it my turn again in the next chapter?**

**Me: Nope. In fact, you guys are getting a new friend in the next chapter. *hears thundering footsteps* And I think I left the stove on! Bye guys! *runs for my life***

**Raph: Man! What a chicken! *hears a fierce, terrifying roar***

**Don: Well...we could stay here and see who that is!**

**Mikey: Or we could run screaming for our lives! *hears a louder, fiercer roar* Definitely...RUN! *everyone runs away as LeatherHead appears***

**LH: Sorry about that. I wanted my breath to smell minty fresh when I came here to make new friends, so I gargled a bit before coming. *looks and sees everyone is gone* Hey. Where is everyone?**

**WHEW! Now THAT was LONG! But still, there was a lot to cover in this chapter! So, I think the importance of reviews has been established, but just in case, reviews are REALLY important to me, guys! I'm asking those of you who follow me who haven't reviewed yet to PLEASE do so! This is to ensure that my readers are enjoying this story! So, in chapter 51, Leatherhead makes his debut! Woohoo! And you'll be reading about that probably sometime next week! Well, time to go and study for midterms, guys. Wish me luck! Cheers! :)**

**-Livangel16**


	51. Chapter 51

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Hello everyone! So thanks to all my lovely reviewers: grapejuice101, pokemonjkl, Aster Sapphire, IceColdFever, ****flamedragon242, I Love Kittens Too, Kimmie98, ninja-warrior101, mchap1154, Pink Lightspeed Ranger, IAmTheDragonEmpress, NeverMindSoGo, lovefairytail007, missymousemonster, bell-13-tmnt-lover and WolfAssassin369! You all RULE! So, in honor of all my readers and reviewers supporting me from the beginning of this story until now (and because I have an annoying midterm to study for, but moreso the first reason), I am doing a mass update of chapters! So, you lucky ducks will be getting not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR, amazing chapters (complete with romance, adventure, drama and visiting fans at the end) of Not An Ordinary Girl! And in case you're wondering what they cover, they run from "What A Croc" to "City At War: Part 3"! And I am asking that you review EACH CHAPTER INDIVIDUALLY! PLEASE! Reviews are what keep me going! So, without further ado, enjoy the next few chapters of this story! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Fifty One

Although the party had lasted well into the night, Samantha still found herself waking up early the next morning. Crawling out of bed, she quickly showered and dressed herself in a sapphire-blue track suit with a black camisole underneath it. Pairing it with a pair of black sneakers, she slung her _wakizashi_ across her back, slipped her charm bracelet onto her wrist, and was about to take off for the balcony when a knock came at the door.

"Samantha?" called Uncle Kenji as he opened the door and stepped into the room. Then he saw his niece fully dressed with her _wakizashi_ on her back. "Where are you going so early in the morning?"

"To see the Turtles and Master Splinter," she answered.

"Ah. I see," Uncle Kenji replied. "And you were just going to sneak out of the house without telling me where you've gone?"

"Uncle Kenji, I..."

"Samantha, I know you're almost eighteen, but as long as I'm your guardian and you live under my roof, I need to know where you are at all times. It's dangerous. The Great Evil could..."

"I know, Uncle Kenji! Geez! I don't need a lecture on how dangerous the Shredder is! I've already seen it firsthand when I was fighting with the Turtles!"

"And that's another thing that I need to talk to you about."

"What do you mean?"

"You neglected to tell me that you and Donatello were..._intimate_ some nights ago in this very room."

"Who told you? Was it Leo? Raph? Master Splinter?"

"You thought that I wouldn't check with the servants as to what you were doing?! Don't you honestly think that I didn't see something going on between you two?!"

"Uncle Kenji! That's private!"

"I'm your uncle! I have a right to know when my niece is doing something! Especially something as reckless as sleeping with a boy!"

"It's because he's not human, isn't it!"

"That has nothing to do with it! The problem is that you're **seventeen** years old, Samantha Tiffany Bushido! You're too young to be having sex!"

"**This** is exactly why I didn't tell you! Because you always freak out! You always want me to be some perfect, little angel and pretend that I don't have hormones and that I'm a woman, Uncle Kenji! I love Donatello, and he loves me! I wouldn't sleep with a guy if I didn't know for sure if he loved me or just wanted a fling without the strings! You don't ever trust me, Uncle Kenji! WHY?!"

"I...forget it! We'll discuss this later! But don't you **dare** bring Donatello into your room, young lady!"

"That's not fair! It's my room! I...!"

"I **mean** it, Samantha! I'll be at the office if you need me!" With that, he walked angrily out of the room, leaving an equally-angry niece sitting on her bed, burning with resentment towards him.

* * *

"Hello?! Any mutants in the house?!" Samantha called out as she walked into the Lair. When no one answered, she decided to look around and see where everyone was. Just then, she heard humming from one of the rooms nearby. She hurried there and found April packing up boxes of her stuff. Sam smiled. She remembered that April had gotten her apartment rebuilt with the prize money she'd gotten from the girls.

"Hey April," Samantha greeted, smiling. The redhead looked up from her packing and smiled when she saw the young woman leaning against the doorway.

"Oh, hey Sam!" she replied, looking equally as happy to see her. "What're you doing down here so early?"

"I just woke up early and decided to come down here and visit," Samantha answered, walking closer to April. She didn't want to talk about the fight she'd had with Uncle Kenji. She handed her a piece of newspaper to help wrap up a little snow globe she had. "I mean, I don't have school until September, and I'm hoping that training with the guys and maybe hanging out with the girls will help pass the time."

"It will," April said as she wrapped up a lamp in a large piece of newspaper. "There's never a dull moment with the guys around." Sam giggled.

"Can't sleep either, huh?" Mikey asked. Samantha turned around and saw the orange bandana turtle leaning against the doorway. He looked tired and sleepy, like he hadn't slept well at all. Then, his eyes fell on her. "Hey Sammy! What got you outta bed so early in the morning?"

"I just wanted to see my friends again, I guess," she replied, shrugging.

"Oh really? Or is it a certain genius who gave you a gold charm bracelet with diamond-studded charms last night that you **really **wanted to see?" Mikey teased, causing Samantha to blush. April spotted the charm bracelet and seized Sam's wrist, pulling it up to inspect it.

"Wow! It's so beautiful!" April breathed, smiling at Samantha. "You're one, lucky girl! Don must've spent a lot of money on this, Sam!" She blushed and lightly pulled her wrist away from April, gazing down at the floor.

"But back to your question, Mikey, I'm too excited to sleep," April told him, smiling. "I can't wait to have my own place again!"

"I understand," Mikey told her. "I remember back when this used to be my room. When I wouldn't have to listen to my roommate **snore like a chainsaw**!" Mikey yelled outside. It was followed by a loud snore that sent April and Samantha into fits of giggles. Mikey drew his hand down his face and groaned before he re-entered the room.

"Don't worry. I'll soon be out of here and you'll be back in your own room before you know it," April reassured him as she packed up one of her vases.

"Um, April? What're you doing with my Silver Sentry comics?!" Mikey demanded, spotting a few of them on the ground by her boxes. Samantha immediately froze in picking up another item to hand to April. She wouldn't. April...she couldn't have...could she?

"Oh, I needed something to wrap my stuff in, and these were just lying about, so I..." April explained, but she was interrupted by a high-pitched scream of terror from Mikey. Samantha felt her heart seize. Mikey was about to freak out. Badly.

"Calm down, Mikey! I'm joking!" April chuckled, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. "Even I know better than to mess with a guy's comics!"

"Oh, HAHA! Very funny, April!" Mikey snapped, looking upset and angry. "Have fun with your packing!" With that, he stormed off, turning off the light as he left.

"Yep. Moving out's looking pretty good right about now," April said to no one in particular.

"I'm gonna go and see if I can find Don anywhere," Samantha told April. The redhead nodded and watched as Samantha turned back on the light before heading out of the room. She could hear the TV going, but then, she heard a loud clanging noise and decided to check that out first. Heading over to the large pool that was underneath the wooden bridge, she found Donatello hard at work, welding some metal into a structure that she didn't recognize immediately. It looked like some sort of pulley device that could be used to lower a submarine into the water. Smiling, she snuck up behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders. Started, he whipped around, the welder still lit in his hands. Samantha had to duck to avoid getting burned by the blue-yellow flame.

"Easy, my turtle genius!" she chuckled, smiling as he turned off the welder and removed his protective goggles. "Didn't know you scared so easily."

"Didn't know you were sneaking up on me so early in the morning," he shot back before pulling her into his arms and kissing her. She kissed him back and would've tumbled to the ground had Don not had a firm arm around her waist. Where'd he learned to kiss like this?! Damn, he was amazing!

"Wow. I'm good," Don said, smirking. Samantha rolled her eyes and gave him a playful shove away from her. Did cockiness run in this family or something?

"Whatever, Einstein," she replied, smirking at him. Then, she walked around to a side that was away from the welding, but close enough to Donatello. "So, what are you building?"

"Something that could help us explore the underwater portions of the sewers," Don explained as he put back on his goggles and began welding the metal again. "Since we can't swim forever underwater without breathing, I'm inventing an underwater access way and a submarine. Think of all the stuff we can find out about underwater life in New York with this kind of technology!"

"I see," she replied. Just then, Mikey came onto the scene, creeping up behind the genius turtle, who was too focused on what he was doing to sense someone behind him.

"BOO!" Mikey shouted, touching Don's shoulders and causing Don to jump and turn around quickly, holding the welder pointing at Mikey. "Whoa! Whoa! Easy there, partner! Don't shoot!" Don turned off the welder and removed his goggles again.

"Mikey! Never sneak up on a turtle while he's welding!" Don scolded. "I almost burned Samantha when she did the same thing!"

"Hey. Love what you've done with the place," Mikey joked as he took in the pulley.

"Yeah! Go ahead! Make jokes, Mikey!" Don snorted, hands on his hips. "But when I'm using this underwater access way to cruise underwater in a submersible, you're gonna miss out on some fun! Unless you make yourself useful and **help**!"

Mikey pretended to yawn and look tired. "Suddenly, I feel really sleepy." Don quickly elbowed him in the plastron as Samantha giggled and looked on. Mikey put on a diver's helmet attached to a hose that would supply him with oxygen.

"This crossbrace will secure the access way and enable its stability," Don explained, handing Mikey the metal pipe and the welder. "You know what you're supposed to do, right?"

"Yeah. I'm supposed to swim in cold, river water when I **should** be in a warm, cozy bed!" Mikey snapped as he closed the mask portion of the helmet shut.

"Right," Don told him, giving him a thumbs-up as Mikey walked towards the edge of the pool.

"You'll be fine, Mikey," Samantha reassured him, putting a hand on his shoulder and smiling. Mikey nodded, still looking a little peeved. Then, he spread his arms and jumped into the air before making a cannonball entrance into the water that sent a huge wave splashing onto Donatello and Samantha.

"Chucklehead!" Don snapped, shaking himself off.

"I'm **so** gonna kill him for this!" Samantha growled as she wrung out her soaking-wet hair. Tying it up in a high, soaking ponytail, she and Don continued to work on the pulley part of the access way. It had been only twenty minutes since Mikey had been underwater, but Samantha felt like it had been ages. Suddenly, there was a bubbling noise coming from the water, and the young princess turned to see the water bubbling from the same place where Mikey's air line was.

"Donny! Take a look at this!" Samantha shouted, edging closer to the pool and seeing bubbles all over the surface of the pool where Mikey's line was.

"What's that goof doing **now**?!" Don groaned, looking up from his computer. More and more bubbles began appearing on the surface. Don's facial expression changed from annoyed to horrified in two seconds.

"My guess is...drowning!" he yelled, hurrying towards the crane system and flicking the yellow switch in reverse. "Hang on, Mikey!"

Just then, a vision of a huge creature with razor-sharp claws bearing down on Mikey flashed across Sam's eyes. And when she saw the Amulet glowing, she knew that she needed to do something.

"Mikey!" she screamed before she dived into the water. She saw Mikey being pulled away from what looked like...a giant crocodile! Just then, the crocodile's eyes met hers and it swam towards her. Sam quickly started for the surface, but just then, Mikey's line got snagged on a piece of the tunnel. She saw the crocodile immediately shift targets and, like a flash of lightning, she unsheathed her sword and swam towards the crocodile, slashing out at it and catching its arm. It gave a great roar and slashed out at her. She caught the blow with her sword, but she didn't see the tail coming across until it slammed her into the wall. It came across towards her and Samantha managed to dive, but not before its claws ripped through the right arm of her battle suit and scratched her arm. She looked and saw Mikey holding out his hand to her. He'd gotten his line free. Almost. He was waiting for her to come before he released it. Swimming as fast as she could, she grabbed onto Mikey's hand, he freed the line, and the two of them shot up like they'd been shot from a cannon and were finally back at the surface. Gasping for breath, she swam towards the edge of the pool and climbed out with Don's help.

"Samantha!" Are you alright?" Don asked, wrapping her up in a towel and holding her close to him.

"I'm OK," she replied, but hissed when she felt a sharp pain in her right arm. Don quickly removed her hand and saw the wound.

"You're hurt!" he gasped. "I'll get my medical kit! Mikey, are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Donny. Scout's honor. But get the others!" Mikey exclaimed as he emptied his helmet of water. "You guys aren't gonna believe this!"

* * *

"So then I was all *GASP* *GASP* and it was all GRRR GRRR, and then I was all HUH HUH HUH, and then it got all *SNORT SNORT* and then it was all ROAR ROAR ROAR! And I was all AAAH AAAH! And it was all...!"

"Cuckoo!" Raph observed.

"Crazy!" Don agreed, spinning his index finger by his head.

"I'd agree with you guys, except that I saw something down there," Samantha jumped in, rubbing her bandaged arm. "And, don't think I'm crazy, but...Mikey's right. It **was** some sort of crocodile, only ten times bigger and a lot more vicious."

"We don't **think** yer crazy, Princess," Raph told her, rolling his eyes. "We **know** yer crazy. Ya musta hit yer head harder than ya thought."

"Hold up guys. Samantha may have a point," Leo reasoned. "Raph. Remember that albino croc we tangled with years ago? Mike's croc **could** exist."

"It **does** exist!" Mikey insisted. "And it's all ROAR ROAR and *SNORT SNORT* and all *Barking like a Chihuahua*!"

"We shoulda seen it coming, bro! Yer one rib short of a barbeque!" Raph chuckled, pointing a finger at Mikey.

"Look! I know what I saw!" Mikey snapped in frustration, slapping Raph's hand away. "There's a huge, ugly reptile in the sewers! And for once, it's not you Raph!"

"Oh brother!" Samantha groaned, burying her face in her palm.

"See what we have to put up with every day?" Leo asked her, smiling.

"I do. Poor you," she replied, smirking at him. Leo shrugged as if it was no big deal, but he smiled a little.

"And I'm gonna prove it!" Mikey declared, placing his hands on his hips as he stood at the edge of the pool. "I'm going back down there to find that thing!"

"If you're serious, take this porpoise device," Don instructed, taking a sheet off of an air tank with a mask. "I made it to explore some of the underwater passageways. It's got a built-in camera and a transmitter. And I put a two-way radio in the mask. We'll be able to see and hear your "mystery croc" on here. If it exists."

"Donny. Wasn't the fact that it tried to rip my arm off enough proof?!" Samantha asked, brandishing her wounded arm.

"Don't worry, Sammy," Mikey told her, placing a hand on her uninjured arm. "It's cool. But stay tuned guys," he said, switching to an Australian accent, "as Mikey TV takes you on a croc hunt." Running past Leo and Raph, Mikey dove into the waters , and Samantha and the others all crowded around Don's laptop and watched the scene in front of them on the mask's camera. Just then, she heard a roar that sent a shiver up her spine.

"What was that?!" she whispered as Mikey ducked out of sight. Just then, the image on the screen showed a huge, giant crocodile walking on two of its legs towards some sort of tunnel in another part of the sewers.

"You guys seeing this?" Mikey questioned.

"Clear as crystal," Samantha answered. She looked at the others. "I hate to say "I told you so", but... I told you so!"

"Alright, Samantha! Sheesh!" Don chuckled.

"I take it back, Mikey!" Raph told him, smirking. "Yer not insane! Well, not **completely**!"

"I'm sure that makes him feel **so** much better, Raph!" Samantha scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Hey! I still say he's an insane turtle!" Raph argued.

"As usual!" she snapped.

"What's **dat** supposed ta...?!" Raph began to yell, but Leo immediately glared at the two of them.

"Will you two be **quiet**?!" Leo hissed at them harshly. "We don't want that thing to hear you two and come after Mikey!"

"Sorry," they both apologized at the same time before turning their attention back to the screen. Collapsed rubble and debris lay everywhere as the crocodile went over to what looked like a console of some sort.

"Check it out, guys!" Mikey told them from his hiding place. "Big, dark and scaly is living in our old Lair!"

"Your old Lair?" Samantha repeated, looking at the three turtles. "What's he talking about?"

"This place wasn't our first home," Leo informed her. "We used to live where that croc is right now."

"So what happened?" Samantha inquired.

"Stockman sent his robotic Mousers out on a little "field test"!" Raph growled, clenching his fists. "And when da test was done, our home was completely destroyed! But we evened da score by destroying his lab!"

"Nice!" Samantha chuckled as she watched the crocodile put on a white lab coat. Then, she thought that she saw his eyes shift from slits to becoming round and brown.

"You were right, my friend," the crocodile told no one in particular as he picked up a small, grey device with frayed wires. "So very right. The remaining component was exactly where you said. Now I can complete my tasking in aiding you, and you can aid me as per our deal. I am so glad I made your acquaintance." Mikey moved closer. "I don't mind telling you that I've had quite a lot of experience repairing these units. Child's play, really. Once you understand the basic principles."

"Well, what do you know? It's just a big, crocodile version of Don!" Mikey observed, earning a groan from Don and chuckles from Leo and Raph.

"HAHA, Mikester! **Very** funny!" Samantha snorted, rolling her eyes again.

"It is finished, my friend," the crocodile said to the mysterious figure in the shadows. "Why don't you take it for a test drive?"

"He's got an exoskeleton," Mikey told them as he watched the crocodile and his mysterious guest. "I can't really see, but I...I think he's talking to...to an...Utrom."

"An UTROM?!" everyone yelled at once. Just then, the microphone in the headset screeched and Samantha gasped as she saw the crocodile whip around and his eyes narrowed and became fierce. It was almost like his wild side was taking over the calm, scientific crocodile they'd seen earlier.

"An intruder!" he growled.

"Mikey, I know he can hear you, but I'm gonna say this anyway: RUN!" Samantha screamed.

"OK! Time to go!" Mikey shouted as he hurried out of the cavern and was thrown down into the waters by the crocodile.

"Mikey! Mikey!" Samantha yelled. Don was busy trying to keep the computer steady on his lap, so Leo wrapped an arm around her shoulders and calmed her down.

"Guys! Can you hear me?!" Mikey demanded.

"Thank God!" Samantha breathed, hugging Leo tightly. He blushed but still hugged her back before a pointed cough from Don broke them apart.

"Mikey! Where da shell are you?!" Raph demanded. "What's happening?!"

"I'm in the 39th Street run-off!" Mikey informed them, gazing all around him for any signs of the crocodile. "It got a little hairy back there with my reptile pal, but I think I lost him!" Just then, a huge splash erupted from the water, and the giant crocodile emerged from it and tackled Mikey back into the waters.

"Mikey! Mikey!" Raph shouted.

"We've gotta help him!" Samantha yelled. "There's no telling how many pieces that thing will rip Mikey into!"

"She's right! Let's move!" Leo ordered. "The 39th Street runoff isn't far from here!"

Samantha quickly changed into her battle suit, and the four of them hopped into the Sewer Slider and took off like lightning. They cruised in to find the crocodile standing in front of Mikey. Everyone leapt out and unsheathed their weapons. Raph quickly threw a sai at the crocodile. It missed him, but stuck in the damaged wall of the runoff close enough to make the crocodile growl angrily.

"Look guys! A handbag with claws!" Raph commented, twirling his one sai. It was then that Samantha sensed something within the crocodile that made her that it wasn't trying to hurt them if they didn't threaten it.

"Hold up, Raph!" Samantha told him, sheathing her sword. "Something's different now."

"Yeah! Mikey's odds of survival just improved!"Raph shot back.

"Guys, wait!" Mikey protested. "It's...!" Just then, the crocodile's tail flicked backwards and slammed Mikey into the wall hard.

"Mikey!" Samantha yelled as the other three turtles charged into battle. She hurried to Mikey and helped him up. "Are you OK?"

"Besides an aching head, I'm alright Sammy," Mikey replied, rubbing his head. "But we've gotta stop them! He's not dangerous if we don't fight him! If he thinks we're trying to hurt him, then he goes all berserk!"

"I know," Samantha agreed. "I sensed something in him that made me think that he didn't want to hurt us unless we seemed Hell-bent on hurting **him**." Just then, she watched all three of the Turtles go flying backwards into the Sewer Slider. Hard.

"Guys!" she yelled before they got up, much to her relief.

"All those who think it was a bad idea to get this thing mad, say "aye"!" Don gulped.

"Aye!" Leo and Raph chorused as they got up. They rushed towards it again, but then, it dove beneath the waters.

"Where'd it go?!" Raph snarled.

"I don't know," Don answered as he and Leo poked around with their weapons in the water. "But I'm hoping France." Just then, Samantha felt something grab her foot and drag her beneath the water.

"SAM!" Raph and Mikey yelled. Just then, Raph was yanked underneath the water as well.

"Raph!" Don and Leo yelled. The three remaining turtles quickly dove into the water after the crocodile. Samantha had managed to wriggle free of its grasp and emerge, coughing and spluttering a few meters away from where Raph, Leo and Don were tackling the croc, finally bringing it down.

"You alright, Sammy?!" Mikey asked worriedly, as he helped her up.

"I'm fine!" she coughed. Then, she saw Raph draw the sai. "Mikey! Stop him quick before he hurts it!" Mikey nodded and then leapt beside Raph, lassoing the sai with his nunchuck.

"Will you guys listen for a second?!" Mikey snapped as Raph put his sai away. "Sorry," he apologized to the croc. "Sometimes **we** get carried away, too. How about a truce?"

"And we always honor truces," Samantha told the crocodile, whose eyes once again became calm and rounded.

"You may let go of me now," he told the Turtles in a calm voice. "I accept the truce." There was a pause and then the Turtles got off of the crocodile.

"Alright, you two," Leo said firmly. "But if this croc bites either of your heads off, I don't wanna hear **any** complaining!"

"Sir yes sir!" Samantha shouted, snapping to attention and throwing a salute at Leo. Then, she, Mikey and Raph all snickered. The crocodile merely looked amused.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Leatherhead," the crocodile said politely. Then, he looked at each of the brothers.

"Leonardo."

"Raphael."

"Donatello."

"I'm Mikey."

"My name's Samantha. How do you do?"

"Come. It is so drafty in these sewers," Leatherhead told them. "Let us return to my temporary laboratory room. There, we can speak in relative comfort."

"We appreciate your kindness, Leatherhead," Samantha told him as she followed in his wake. Then, she turned and saw the guys still standing there. "Well? Are you four just gonna stand there all day or what?" Mikey stepped forward and walked beside Samantha, Leo, Don and Raph trailing behind them as they walked back towards Leatherhead's lab.

"Ah! There's no place like home!" Raph commented, smiling a signature Raph smile, which was a very rare occurrence.

"My sentiments exactly," Leatherhead replied, smiling as well.

"Whoa! **You're **building a Transmat?!" Don gasped in shock as he recognized the invention before him instantly. Samantha was amazed as well.

"You are familiar with the Transmat?" Leatherhead inquired in pleasant surprise. "Then you know of the Utroms."

"Actually, the Utroms and us go way back," Leo informed him, smiling.

"A **long** way back," Samantha added.

"Really?" Leatherhead mused. He sounded quite pleased. "The Utroms are...my family. It is a long story. It begins when I was a hatchling. I assume that I began life as a mere exotic pet which, for some cruel reason, was cast into the sewers. Fortunately, I was discovered not by humans, but by the Utroms, who deemed me worthy of further observation. During the course of this observation, I was accidentally exposed to a mutagen the Utroms had created. The mutagen not only changed my physical form, but it accelerated my intelligence as well. And when the Utroms realized that I had become sentient, they adopted me. I was happy living with the Utroms. They taught me much. Life was good until humans discovered our base and tried to destroy us. My family barely escaped, and I...was left behind. But once I finish building this Transmat, I will be able to rejoin my family once again." Just then, Samantha thought she could hear footsteps.

"Ah!" Leatherhead observed happily. "My friend has returned!" The exosuit appeared, and Samantha and the others were all shocked by whom was resting in the stomach portion of it.

"Gentlemen and lady. Allow me to introduce you to my friend," Leatherhead told them.

"Baxter Stockman?!" everyone shouted in shock. Stockman smirked.

"Hey Stockman! Love da new look!" Raph snickered.

"Yeah! What happened?! The spider thing not cutting it with the ladies?!" Mikey teased.

"Hardy-harr-harr!" Stockman replied mirthlessly as he approached the giant crocodile and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh damn it!" Samantha muttered. "We're in trouble!"

"What do you mean, Sam?" Don whispered.

"Just watch!" she growled through her gritted teeth.

"Leatherhead. My friend," Stockman said to him. "Do you recall the traitors I told you about? It was these Turtles and that girl who sabotaged the TCRI building. It was **them** who destroyed the Transmat. It was **they** who caused the Utroms to leave!"

"Them?!" Leatherhead repeated, removing his glasses.

"Yes! Them! **Them**!" Stockman declared, pointing his finger at the five friends.

"Baxter Stockman telling lies? Imagine that!" Mikey said sarcastically. Stockman smirked.

"**Them**?!" Leatherhead growled.

"Yes! These green gnomes and that palace brat are the reason why I had you build the you-know-what!" Stockman told him as he approached Leatherhead's desk. "And now we can put it to work!" He then took the lid off of a box and then threw its contents into the air. They hovered and then spun in a circle before conforming into a huge robot that looked like a giant turtle.

"Donny! What the **shell** is **that**?!" Leo asked.

"I'm not sure," Don gulped. "But it's not good!" Just then, the robot bowed to them and then emitted a yellow light from its eyes, scanning Donatello's body with it before it motioned for Don to bring it on.

"I think it wants you to fight it, Donny," Samantha observed.

"Then I won't disappoint it!" Don shouted before leaping into the air with his bo staff and flying towards the robot. Just then, a gold bo staff appeared in its hands, and it blocked every one of Don's attacks. Then, the staff vanished and it seized Don's before kicking him hard into a pile of debris nearby. Then, Leo was scanned by the yellow light, and Samantha gasped as she realized what it was doing.

"Batter up!" Leo shouted before rushing towards it.

"Leo! Wait!" Samantha called out, but it was too late. In a few moments, that thing had countered Leo's attack with gold katanas and then tossed him hard to the ground.

"Raph!" Samantha shouted, but Raph was flying through the air, the gold light scanning him, and then the robot not only blocked his attacks, but managed to pin Raph to the wall using his own sais.

"Mikey, stop!" she told him as Mikey took out his nunchucks. "I think I've figured out what that thing's doing!"

"I'm all ears, Sammy," Mikey told her. Just as she opened her mouth, Baxter Stockman came flying across the room and kicked her hard in the face. She flew backwards and smashed hard into the wall of the lab.

"Samantha!" Leo shouted. She moaned and managed to dodge an attack from Stockman before whipping out her _wakizashi_ and battling him. She finally managed to trip him up and saw that Mikey was battling the robot, who had gold nunchucks in its hands.

"That robot knows exactly what we're gonna do **before** we do it," Don told his brothers as they released Raph.

"That's what I've been **trying** to tell you for the past fifteen minutes!" Samantha snapped, rolling her eyes. "Stockman must've programmed it with the most common attacks and defenses according to your specific weapons and how you use them."

"She's right," Don agreed. "It's somehow programmed with our fighting styles, and its processors are working faster than our reflexes!"

"So what do we do?!" Leo demanded.

"Something...unexpected," Don answered. Then, Raph snatched Leo's katanas out of their holders.

"Mind if I borrow these for a second?" Raph asked playfully before jumping into battle and going against the robot.

"What's he doing?" Leo inquired.

"I think I know," Samantha replied. "The only way to beat is to switch weapons."

"Master Splinter always said for us to train in every weapon form," Leo told them as he handed Don Raph's sais and Don handed him his bo staff. "It's time for a little practice!" With that, he vaulted forward with Don's bo staff and kicked the robot hard.

"Oops!" Don said when he dropped one of Raph's sais, but he managed to land the second one in the robot's back (or was it a shell?).

"Let's finish this, Sammy!" Mikey declared. Samantha nodded, and with Mikey battling with metal pipes, Samantha sliced the head off of the robot as Mikey finally brought it down.

"Playtime is over," Raph told Stockman, socking his fist into his hand. Just then, Stockman's face broke out into an evil smile.

"Uh-oh! I don't like the look of that smile!" Samantha whispered nervously.

"You're so right!" Stockman declared. "I **am** done playing!" With that, he walked over to an unstable, concrete wall and picked up a huge chunk. Then, he launched it at them, sending everyone flying backwards.

"I'll be happy to finish you off **personally!**" Stockman declared. Punching Don and Leo aside, he also took down Raph and Mikey before he stopped in front of Samantha and seized her hard by the throat.

"I can't **count** how many times you meddlesome freaks and this palace brat robbed me of my revenge when I was working for the Shredder!" Stockman raved as his grip tightened around Samantha's throat, and she began to cough and splutter. "But this time, **nothing** will stop me! And I'll start by destroying your precious princess, Samantha!" His grip became even tighter as she weakly struggled against him. Everything was starting to turn black, and she was fighting less and less.

"SAMANTHA! NO!" Don yelled, reaching out towards her, but he was too far from her.

"THE SHREDDER?!" Leatherhead roared, seizing Stockman by his other arm. Samantha was immediately dropped to the ground, unmoving. "**You** worked for the Shredder?! He was the Utroms' most hated enemy!" Leatherhead had now seized Stockman by the throat, and together with Leo, Don managed to get Samantha out of the way of the impending fight.

"You weren't intending to help me with the Transmat!" Leatherhead roared. "**You used me**!" The two grappled for a few moments before Stockman stumbled back from the growling crocodile and the Turtles, Donatello holding up Samantha between himself and Leo.

"Very well! You freaks can all perish **together**!" Stockman declared, snatching up a canister. "Believe me! I am doing evolution a big favor!" With that, he threw the canister into one of the support beams. It exploded and then, the entire structure began to crumble all around them.

"Leatherhead, look out!" Don shouted. The mutant crocodile quickly caught the collapsing roof and stabilized it. "Guys! We've to get out of here NOW!" Picking up Samantha bridal style, Don, Leo and Raph hurried to the exit. Mikey remained behind.

"Leatherhead! Come with us!" Mikey pleaded. "Forget about this place!"

"No!" Leatherhead replied firmly. "If I do not have the Transmat, if I cannot be with the Utroms, then life is meaningless!"

"Leatherhead! PLEASE!" Mikey begged in desperation.

"Mikey!" Leo shouted.

"C'mon!" Don yelled.

"Leave me!" Leatherhead bellowed. Then, his eyes softened and he smiled slightly. "My friend," he added.

"MICHAELANGELO!" Leo snarled.

"Move it!" Raph ordered. Mikey hurried out of the collapsing structure just as the entire chamber came crashing down, destroying it and burying Leatherhead in tons of rock and rubble. The four brothers stood and gaped at the buried entrance to what had been their old Lair.

"Poor Leatherhead!" Mikey whispered. Just then, Samantha moaned and stirred in Don's arms.

"Man! What hit me?!" she groaned, rubbing her aching head. "My head feels like it got it rammed multiple times by a transport truck! Trailer and all!" Then, she gazed around and saw that they were back in the sewers. "Wait. What are we doing here? Where's Leatherhead?"

"He...he..." Leo began to explain, but Raph beat him to the punch.

"He's gone, Princess," Raph told her grimly.

"What?" she whispered, her eyes welling with tears.

"When he saved you from Stockman, Stockman blew up the ceiling with a canister of explosive fuel oil or something like that," Don explained as he wiped away the few tears that'd managed to escape her tears with his thumb. "Leatherhead kept the ceiling up long enough for us to escape, but he...he didn't come with us. He didn't want to live without any hopes of seeing the Utroms again."

"The poor guy," Samantha said, burying her face in Don's plastron.

"Can you imagine being **that** alone?" Leo asked, sounding quite saddened by the loss of their new friend.

"You know, things might get rough at times, but at least we have each other," Don told them. Mikey threw his arms around Leo's and Don's shoulders as they turned from the scene.

"Yeah. But do we have to have Raph?" Mikey asked, snickering as they walked away.

"Oh boy, Mikey!" Samantha moaned, rolling her eyes. "Something tells me you're going to regret saying that!"

"C'mere ya knucklehead!" Raph growled before pouncing on Mikey and punching him senseless. Leo groaned and hide his face in his palm. Don simply rolled his eyes as he and Samantha watched Raph and Mikey wrestling in the waters of the sewers. But as Samantha looked on, she only wished that Leatherhead was still with them, that she and the Turtles could show him that they could be a supportive family, just like the Utroms had been to him. And as Don held her closer to him (sensing that she was distressed about something), she couldn't help but thank God for letting her know Leatherhead for this short period of time. Because of him, she'd learned to start appreciating the family that she had...even if they fought over stupid things like her sex life.

**Me:**** *walks in with ninja-warrior101* Oh Turtles! There's a visiting fan to see you!**

**Don: *comes running in* WHERE?! WHERE?!**

**Raph: Down boy! *turns to ninja-warrior101* Sorry about that. He gets excited whenever visiting fans come here.**

**Ninja-warrior101: No problem! *hugs Donny* I totally love ALL you guys! You're all so awesome!**

**Raph: Aw yea! Another fan who thinks I'm awesome! *starts humming "Sexy and I Know It"***

**Mikey: Even me, dudette?!**

**Ninja-warrior101: Of course, Mikey! *hugs Mikey* Hey! How about you and I go to the arcade one day and play some video games?**

**Mikey: I am SO FOR THAT, dudette!**

**Leo: Hey guys. *sees ninja-warrior101* Hey! What's up? I'm Leo.**

**Ninja-warrior101: OMG! Leo! You're such an awesome leader! Do you think you could train me sometime?!**

**Leo: Sure. I'm always to train those who seek to learn the art of ninjitsu and the way of Bushido.**

**Me: Thank you, all-knowing Sensei ,for that little speel!**

**Leo: You still love me, Livangel16!**

**Me: Don't let it go to your head, Fearless! You have a girlfriend, remember?**

**LH: Greetings, Turtles. *stares at me and ninja-warrior101* And who are these lovely, young ladies?**

**Me: Livangel16. Author and big TMNT fan. This is ninja-warrior101.**

**Ninja-warrior101: O...M...G! LEATHERHEAD! *fangirl screams and jumps up and down before tackling Leatherhead with a hug***

**Mikey: Whoa! I think she might've broken the sound barrier!**

**Raph: Do you even know what dat is?!**

**Mikey: No. Do you?**

**Raph: No. Dat's why I'm asking you. Wait. Why AM I asking you?!**

**Don: And here we go again. *gets ninja-warrior101 off of Leatherhead before she hugs him too tightly***

**Ninja-warrior101: You guy are all SERIOUSLY AWESOME!**

**LH: It is very nice to be appreciated. Would you like to help me an experiment I am currently working on with Donatello?**

**Ninja-warrior101: ME?!**

**Raph: No. The invisible girl beside you! Of course he means YOU!**

**Leo: Raph, be nice! Oh wait. You and nice are two words that can't co-exist in the same sentence!**

**Me and Mikey: OOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!**

**Raph: Dat's it Fearless! It's go time! *tackles Leo to the ground and they start fighting***

***Ninja-warrior101 goes back to Leatherhead's lab with Donatello and helps Leatherhead dissolve a new alloy in sulfuric acid. Then she and Don discover new microorganism in a piece of driftwood. Then, Donatello gives her advice on how to sort out organic chemistry***

**Ninja-warrior101: This had to be the most PERFECT fan visit I've ever had! *sees Leo and Raph fighting* Well, ALMOST perfect.**

**LH: I did not know they fought so much with each other being brothers and all.**

**Mikey: And this is them on a _good_ day.**

**Me: Whoa! That's actually quite scary.**

**Ninja-warrior101: Anyways, I'd better get going. It was really nice meeting you all. Especially you, Leatherhead.**

**LH: And it was quite a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well, ninja-warrior101. I do hope that this will not be the last time we see each other.**

**Ninja-warrior101: *blushes* Thanks LH. Well, bye everyone!**

**Me, Don, Mikey and LH: Bye!**

***Leo and Raph stop fighting*: Bye ninja-warrior101! *recommence fighting***

**Me: So LH. What would you call two turtles named Leo and Raph fighting each other?**

**LH: That is simple, Livangel16. Based on the information and the data that I've been provided by Michelangelo and Donatello as well as a careful observation of this dispute, there is one, logical terminology for this kind of behavior: typical.**

**Next chapter is on the way!**


	52. Chapter 52

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Fifty Two

It had been two weeks into the summer when Samantha found herself plagued with the same dream that she'd had in the underground cavern: the Alintian man standing over her, the shining knife and her chained to a stone table, a helpless sacrifice to this man's gods. But every time the knife came down towards her, she woke up with a start, sweating and panting heavily. She hadn't been able to sleep properly for days now.

"Maybe I should ask Donny," she thought aloud to herself as she dressed in a red track suit with a black t-shirt underneath and matching ballet flats. "He's usually good with things like this. I just hope he doesn't freak out that I've been keeping this from him for almost four and a half months."

* * *

"Hey guys!" Samantha called out as she walked into the Lair. Don had given her the pass codes and everything for the security system a while back, so she no longer had to use her Amulet to get into and out of the Lair. Although sometimes, it was simply easier for her to use her Amulet than go through all that trouble. But today, she'd needed that walk through the sewers to clear her head as best she could.

"Hey Samantha!" Leo shouted before doing a backflip and slicing at an imaginary enemy with his katana blades. She smiled and shook her head slightly as she watched Leo training. He was incredible. His movements were swift, fluid and sharp with a graceful elegance that she'd seen only in the most gifted of the students at her father's ninja academy. He was so dedicated to his studies, to ninjitsu, that it was hard to believe that he was only a year older than she was. Sometimes, he seemed decades older than the rest of them, but she guessed that came with being the eldest and the leader.

"Yo Princess! What's up?!" Raph greeted as he threw a plastic Frisbee to Mikey, who effortlessly caught it. She smiled and waved to both Raph and Mikey before spotting Donny working at his desk, studying something. She slipped silently up the stairs and was about to throw her arms around him from behind, but he turned around like lightning and snatched her around the waist, pulling her down onto his lap. Her arms twined around his neck as she sat like a child would sit on their parent's lap.

"Your stealth could use some work, my young tiger," he whispered to her as he nuzzled her neck. She smiled and kissed the top of his head. He looked back up at her, and she could see that he hadn't been sleeping a lot either. There were dark circles under his eyes, and, when she glanced around, she saw coffee mugs littered everywhere in his workspace.

"You haven't been sleeping?" she asked in a serious tone.

"Samantha, you don't get it. I..." Don began to explain, but just then Mikey shouted, "Yo Donny! Heads up!" Samantha barely leaned back enough when the Frisbee came flying through and scattered the papers on Donatello's desk every which way. She quickly looked at Don, and his face was livid.

Mikey had apparently gone too far.

Shoving Samantha off his lap, he got up and snatched up the Frisbee, gripping it tightly in his hand. She got up and followed him, standing behind him while he went on his rant.

"Hey you guys! Can't you just leave me alone?!" Don demanded in frustration. "I'm sick of all these interruptions! I can't work like this, OK?!" He tossed the Frisbee, and it landed in front of Leo, who kicked it up and caught with one hand while stowing away his katana with the other.

"Whoa! Easy there, Donny!" Leo cautioned. "Are you OK?"

"I know ya ain't slept in days, bro," Raph reminded him.

"Maybe you're...working too much," Mikey suggested as Don headed over to his laptop, holding one of the crystals in his hand.

"I've been trying to find a cure for our friends trapped in the underground city," Don told them as he typed away data in his computer.

"That creepy place?!" Mikey said, gulping.

"Well, how do you think **they** feel?" Don demanded. "They're like prisoners down there."

"Man! Remember that spooky, sole survivor guy?" Mikey reminded them.

"I wish I could forget," Don replied.

"You're not the only one, Donny," Samantha muttered, but it wasn't soft enough to escape Leo's hearing. He gazed at the young, ninja princess and saw that she too had been the victim of sleepless nights. The circles under her eyes were dark, and she looked tired. Had she just shuddered at the mention of the Alintian man?

"Remember what he said?" Don asked them. Samantha could still hear that eerie voice in her mind. It haunted her thoughts, her dreams, and now, it was haunting her life.

_"As we speak, the power of the cavern's Crystal Moon, is infusing your friends with regenerative energy," he'd told them._

"**I **remember we had ta put dat whackbag on ice!" Raph growled, remembering Mikey twirling the crystal bolas and imprisoning the man inside one of his own cocoons.

"And when our friends stray too far from the city's Crystal Moon, they turn right back into monsters," Don finished. "We made them a promise, remember? A promise to find a cure. And I know the cure has something to do with these crystals. I just don't know what." With that, he walked back into his workspace.

"Hey!" Raph called, beginning to go after him, but Leo seized his wrist and stopped him.

"Let him go, Raph," Leo advised. "He's got that no-matter-what-it-takes look. We'd better just leave him alone." The others walked away, but Samantha went right back with Donatello to his workspace.

"If anybody can find a cure for them, it's you Donny," she told him firmly, placing a hand on his shoulder and planting a kiss on his cheek. He turned around and pulled her face down to his, pressing his lips to hers, desperate to have her close to him. She ended up on his lap, his fingers tangled in her hair, his lips caressing her neck, cheeks and finally returning back to her lips.

"You're kinda distracting me, Samantha," he chuckled as he released his tight grip on her. "Not that I don't appreciate it."

"Then let me help you find a cure," Samantha suggested. "Between two geniuses, we'll be able to come up with something. I know it."

"Let's do it," Don told her firmly. And for the next several hours, they went to work, trying to find a way to get the crystals into their basest form. But it was no use. Even Don's laser hadn't made a dent in them.

"We still don't have a clue what these things are made of!" Don sighed in frustration. Then, he yawned, a large one. "Much less how they work." Then, his head dropped onto his desk, and he fell asleep. Samantha, who'd seen this coming, gingerly picked up an old, woolen blanket and draped it over the sleeping genius before leaning in and giving him a gentle kiss goodnight.

"Sleep well, my turtle genius," she whispered as she turned off the lights. "Maybe the answer will come to you in your dreams."

* * *

"Hey guys!" Samantha heard Don shout. She rose from her makeshift bed on the couch and yawned. After enduring another night of the repeated dream of the Alintian man and the strange, glowing obelisk, she had just fallen asleep when Don had called them. She stretched and then walked into Don's workspace, almost straight into Raph's shell.

"This better be good, Donny!" Mikey told him after yawning. The others rubbed their eyes. "A Turtle needs his beauty sleep, ya know!"

"Welcome to my world," Samantha said offhandedly. Leo, Raph and Mikey stared at her in confusion. She sighed and put her hands on her hips. "How **else** do you guys think I keep up this wonderful appearance?"

"Genetics?" Leo suggested.

"Luck?" Raph asked.

"Pizza?" Mikey inquired. Everyone turned and stared at him. "What?! I'm hungry!"

"Anyways," Samantha said, turning back to Don. "You woke us up for a reason, Donny?"

"Yeah. I've been running a few tests on the crystals," Don explained. He was standing next to what looked like a frequency generator, two crystals on a small piece of wood in front of it. "The crystals react to sound. High sonic frequency disruption to be precise. That will cause the crystals to break down into their purest, simplest form."

Samantha and the others watched as the crystals glowed brightly and then seemed to dissolve into a thick, liquid-like paste.

"They liquefy!" Don exclaimed as he picked up the small piece of wood. "And in this liquid form, we can administer it like a serum! A cure! Our friends will be able to leave the underground city!"

"Don! I gotta say: that's...!" Leo told him, smiling and Raph finished for him.

"Way ta go, Egghead!" he chuckled. Samantha, despite being tired, threw her arms around his neck. and hugged him.

"I knew you could do it," she told him, resting her head on his plastron. The others smirked as Don blushed.

"Well...I'm not sure **I** deserve the credit," Don admitted. "I kinda got the idea...in a dream."

"A dream?" Mikey repeated.

"Donny. You've been working too hard," Raph told him.

"No guys! It makes sense!" Mikey shouted. "Don had a crystal dream like I did the last time we went underground!"

"We've gotta get down there right away!" Leo declared, holding the vial of crystal serum in his hand.

"I've been working on that, too!" Don informed them, taking out a blueprint of what looked like a huge dune buggy with a nose for a drill. "It'll be a lot shorter...if we go straight down!" Donatello led them over to a huge machine that was the life-size version of Donatello's sketch.

"Lady, gentlemen...and Mikey," Don declared. "I give you The Turtle Tunneler!"

"Wow!" Samantha breathed, looking very impressed.

"It looks even better on the inside," Don told her, leaping up onto the small platform of steps. He held out his to her and pulled her aboard. It was as high-tech as she'd expected...and more. Radar, infrared, different gears, and so much more that Samantha felt like her head was going to explode.

"You've **really** outdone yourself this time, Donny," Mikey said as the others climbed inside.

"Everybody buckle up," Donny instructed, as they all sat down and strapped in tight.

"Tunneler engaged!" Don declared as the engine roared to life. Soon, they were cruising through the sewers and stopped at the tunnel entrance they'd gone through last time.

"From here, the ride gets a whole lot bumpier," Don informed them as he shifted gears and engaged the high-speed, powered drill. Soon, they were slicing through the rock walls like a knife through butter.

"We're tunneling down into the earth, Donny," Samantha chuckled lightly. "I didn't expect it to be smooth."

"Are we there yet?"Mikey joked, snickering. Raph was leaning over to smack him, but Samantha said, "Allow me!" and reached over Raph and smacked Mikey hard in the skull.

"OW!" Mikey yelped, rubbing his skull. Samantha leaned back again and received a high-five from Raph and a eye-roll and smirk from Leo.

"Zip it, goofball!" Raph snapped, leaning back in his seat. "Otherwise, I'll get da Princess ta smack ya more often!" The Tunneler cruised through the underground caverns for what seemed like hours. During the entire time, Samantha couldn't help but think about that dumb dream she'd been having so frequently.

"Something wrong, Samantha?" Leo asked her. He'd seen the faraway look in her eyes and knew that her thoughts weren't on Quarry or the others.

"Nothing I can't handle, Leo," she replied brusquely without making eye contact with him. Leo shook his head. There was no use forcing her to tell him. She'd come to him when and if she needed to.

"Next stop: underground city," Don announced to his "passengers".

"Already?!" Mikey asked in shock, holding a small screen in front of his face. "I barely had time to watch the in-flight movie!"

"Wait a minute. Isn't there supposed to be a lake at the end of this tunnel?" Leo asked, staring at the map before them. Just then, Don stopped at the edge of the cliff where the lake of lava bubbled and the necropolis stood at its edge, darkened.

"Umm, guys? What's missing from this picture?" Samantha asked in horror.

"The Crystal Moon!" Don shouted in shock as his brothers gasped. "It's **gone**!"

"OK! I **know **dere was a big Crystal Moon on da ceiling the last time we came down here!" Raph told them.

"It can't just be gone!" Leo denied.

"Guys, there's a bigger problem than the Crystal Moon being missing!" Samantha reminded them.

"Sam's right," Don told them. "That Crystal Moon was the only thing keeping our friends from turning back into monsters." Just then, the headlights of the Tunneler fell upon one of the mutated creatures, one in an advanced state of Quarry's own form.

"You were saying?!" Mikey screeched, gulping hard as the creature leapt onto the Tunneler and began trying to tear it apart. Then, a spider mutant appeared and spat some pinkish liquid onto the Tunneler before leaping onto it as well.

"Hang on!" Don shouted as he powered up the drill and dug through the cavern wall, ditching the two monsters there. But they were then seized by two more monsters, who picked up the Tunneler and carried it to the edge of a cliff that ended in a river of lava.

"They're gonna throw us in!" Samantha screamed. And that was exactly what they did. Screaming her lungs out, Sam closed her eyes as she felt the Tunneler plummet into the lava and then, miraculously, it drove out, unscathed and they were unharmed as well.

"What? You think I wouldn't have built this thing to withstand lava?!" Don demanded, looking highly amused. "What kind of idiot do you think I am?"

"Are there different kinds?" Mikey inquired. Samantha groaned and buried her face in her palm. The Tunneler cruised through the abandoned streets of the city.

"Umm...why are we travelling **into** the city and not to...say...Singapore?!" Mikey inquired.

"We can't just leave Quarry and the others down here forever, Mikey!" Samantha told him firmly. "We've got to help them!"

"She's right, Mikey," Don seconded. "We made a promise to our friends. And we're gonna keep it."

"No matter what," Samantha finished.

"But...!" Mikey began to say, but Samantha glared at him fiercely enough to make him squeak in terror. Even Leo shrunk back from her a little.

"**No matter what**!" she repeated firmly.

"Dey're out dere," Raph commented grimly.

"Yeah. They're stalking us," Leo confirmed. They drove on a little bit further, deeper into the city.

"Why don't dey attack already?!" Raph demanded.

"'Cause they don't want the Tunneler!" Mikey answered fearfully. "Just the chewy snacks inside!" Finally, the Tunneler came to a halt.

"Guys, don't worry," Don reassured them. "I packed us a little something for emergencies. Our seat backs detach to become tech-pack units. High tech weapon and survival gear. And from the look of this place, we're gonna need 'em!"

"Enough chitchat!" Samantha told them. "Let's move!"

"Wow! Looks like yer rubbin' off on her, Fearless!" Raph snickered, elbowing Leo playfully in the side.

"It's a lot better than you make it sound, Raph," she said, smiling before throwing Leo a wink. Leo turned and smirked at Raph before following after Don and Samantha. Raph muttered something about showoffs under his breath and followed after them.

"Um, excuse me?! Why are we getting **out** of the nice, safe, heavily-armored vehicle?!" Mikey asked, sounding as though this was the craziest idea they'd ever come up with.

"Because **I **need to find more crystals," Don informed him as they switched on their tech-pack lights.

"Don't worry, Mikey," Raph told him. "Dis is gonna be a piece o' cake!" Suddenly, there was a roar behind them that made everyone jump.

"Yeah! Except **we're **the cake!" Mikey whimpered as they hurried inside and began exploring the abandoned rooms. Just then, Raph stumbled upon the suspended form of the Alintian survivor.

"You still here?" Raph asked him. "Buddy, dat bus ain't comin'!" Don approached the figure with Samantha staying close behind him.

"The entity's amulet seems to be the only crystal we've seen," Don told them as he took the crystal from its place. "It's a start, I guess. But I'll need more." As she stared at the form of the Alintian, Sam couldn't help but shiver and remember this same man standing over her, a sharpened knife in his hand, ready to kill her so that the "gods" would be appeased.

"Still sure you can handle it on your own, Samantha?" Leo asked her, coming up behind her and staring at the Alintian as well. He didn't know what it was, but there was something about him that was majorly freaking Samantha out. He could sense it.

"Leo, I...I'm...fine," she replied, turning her back to him. She felt Leo's hands on her shoulders as she shivered again with suppressed fear.

"You're shivering, _suiren_," Leo whispered to her. He placed a black cloak around her that he'd found while exploring the room. "Something's troubling you so much that it's starting to affect you physically. Let me help you."

"Leo, I...I can't!" she told him, not turning to face him, clutching the cloak tightly to her.

"I can deal with it, Samantha!" he told her firmly, not moving away. In fact, he moved ever so much closer to her. "I'm your Protector, remember? It's my duty to keep you safe. Even from yourself. So, tell me what's wrong."

"Leo. There's something you need to know," she told him, turning around and facing him.

"Yes?" he prodded.

"I..." She was interrupted by the opening of a secret door in the chamber, which revealed a hidden room.

"C'mon!" Don told them. Samantha looked at Leo one last time before she hurried away after the others. She gasped when she saw more people in suspended animation, all of them looking similar to the Alintian they'd put on ice some months back. There were even some women in suspended animation.

"What **is** this place?" Leo wondered aloud as they investigated the suspended figures.

"Just what we need: more creepy, bald guys!" Mikey gulped.

"Why do I get the feeling that Mr. Sole Survivor didn't tell us the whole story about his...extinct race?" Don said, sounding slightly horrified. Samantha knew how he felt. Just then, a loud roar mingled with a hiss sounded from the chamber they'd just been in.

"Heads up, guys! We got company!" Raph warned. Don quickly shone the crystal over to the source and the door sealed shut. Loud pounds began to rain on the metal as it dented in several places.

"Arm yourselves, boys," Samantha told them as everyone drew their weapons. "Looks like we're about to have some uninvited company!" Just then, the door melted partially at the top and in burst Quarry, mutated fangs, blue skin and all. Everyone visibly relaxed.

"Quarry! Man! Am I glad to see you!" Mikey declared as Quarry sniffed at him. Just then, a vision of Quarry spitting acid and catching Mikey's arm flashed before her eyes in an almost blur. She groaned and clasped her head.

"Samantha?" Don asked as he and Leo knelt beside her.

"Amulet vision," she gritted out before raising her head and yelling, "Mikey, MOVE!" Mikey managed to do just that before Quarry spat a glob of acid towards him, missing him and striking the ground instead, which bubbled and liquefied.

"Too bad da feeling ain't mutual!" Raph growled as everyone's grips on their weapons tightened. Quarry leapt towards them, hissing and fangs displayed.

"What's up with her? It's like she don't remember us at all!" Raph stated as they backed up away from their friend.

"That's because I don't think she does!" Leo answered as Quarry came flying forward.

"Raph! Your tech pack!" Don shouted. Raph leaned back slightly, and two, pink beams shot from the tops of the pack, hitting Quarry and sending her flying backwards. She looked weakened and was slow to get up.

"Don't worry. She's just stunned," Don informed them.

"Not for long!" Mikey shouted in panic as Quarry got back up and looked madder than ever.

"Keep her busy!" Don shouted as he unslung his tech pack. "I'm gonna try the antidote serum on her!"

"Guys, tech packs only!" Leo commanded as Quarry came closer to them. Mikey panicked and shot a net at Quarry which stopped her only temporarily. Then Mikey shot another and another and another.

"Nets! I'm all out of nuts!" Mikey cried. Samantha caught Leo's eye and shook her head. "I mean, nuts! I'm all out of nets!"

"Relax, goofball!" Raph told him, firing more stun shots and weakening Quarry enough to tackle her underneath the net. "Yo Donny! Any day now with dat cure!"

"C'mon! C'mon!" Donny muttered as he searched for the cure. Meanwhile, Quarry got back up and threw Raph off of her before destroying the net with her acid. Then, she approached Mikey, who was trying not to panic.

"Quarry, wait! It's me! Mikey!" Mikey shouted, pointing to himself. "Don't you know me?! We're your friends! Try to remember!" Quarry stopped for a moment before she picked up Mikey and held him above her head in the air.

"Mikey!" Samantha shouted, but before she could move, Don hurried forward with the serum.

"Quarry! Stop it!" Don yelled before injecting the serum into Quarry's arm. She immediately began to stagger. Then, she dropped Mikey before collapsing into the dust. The dust clearing bit by bit, Quarry sat up, in human form, and looked up at the guys and Samantha.

"You came back," she whispered. "I knew you'd come back." Samantha quickly unpinned the cloak from around her shoulders and wrapped it around Quarry. Then, she turned back to the guys, who were still staring at Quarry.

"You boys can stop staring at her now!" Samantha snapped. They immediately began blushing and covered their eyes, hurrying off to one side of the room, their backs to the two girls. "Men!" she sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Tell me about it!" Quarry chuckled, sending both girls into a fit of giggles.

* * *

"There," Samantha said, fitting the cloak over Quarry's outfit. "That should do it."

"Where's your friend, Olivia?" Quarry asked her.

"She couldn't make it," Samantha replied. "I'll tell her you said hello."

"I can't thank you enough!" Quarry told them as she and Samantha approached them. They turned around and faced them. "You came back with a cure. It's unbelievable!"

"Our little Donny's full o' all kinds of ideas!" Raph told her, winking slyly.

"Raph, give me one reason not to kick your sorry shell **right now**!" Samantha growled through gritted teeth. She hadn't meant to sound so jealous, but she couldn't help it. Quarry was pretty, and she could see that none of the guys had missed that little detail.

"Quarry! What happened to the...?" Don began to ask, but he was cut off.

"My real name is Sydney," Quarry cut in, holding up her hand. Samantha was slightly impressed. This woman had power and could command respect. You had to give her points for that.

"Oh, sorry. Sydney, what happened to the Crystal Moon?" Don inquired.

"The Crystal Moon!" Sydney breathed, turning away from them. "It's all our fault! We were getting stir-crazy trapped down here, so we tried to find a cure ourselves. We used up a lot of crystals. But...it was hopeless. We thought perhaps a larger piece of crystal might help. So we turned to the Crystal Moon. With the help of some explosive geodes we discovered in a chamber in the underground city, we'd hope to break off a sizeable piece of the Moon. But the geodes were more powerful than we realized. The Crystal Moon fell from the cavern ceiling and sank into the molten lava! Without the Moon's regenerative powers, we instantly reverted back into monsters. Savage. Mindless. Fighting among ourselves. Lashing out at anything that moved." Then, she turned back to the five friends. "But now that you've cured **me**, you can cure **all** of us! We can all go home!"

"Yeah! Except for a little problem," Don confessed, rubbing the back of his head. "I only had enough crystals to make one vial of serum. I never expected to find a shortage of crystals down here."

"With the Crystal Moon gone, all the crystals are dead," Sydney informed him, holding one in her hands.

"We'd have to raise the Crystal Moon from the lava to bring back the energy source," Don theorized.

"What are you talking about?!" Mikey demanded. "That thing must've melted away to nothing in that lava!"

"Mikey. They're not affected by anything other than high frequency sounds, remember?" Samantha reminded him.

"Samantha's right," Don continued. "The crystals are almost indestructible. They don't liquefy from heat. They liquefy from sonic vibrations."

"Well, if it's down there, let's get it back up here where it can do some good," Leo told everyone.

"Yeah, Donny! Yer on a roll today!" Raph seconded, giving Don a thumbs-up. Samantha smiled and flung her arms around Don's neck from behind.

"That's my turtle genius!" she chuckled, planting a kiss on Don's cheek.

"Aw, cut it out!" he laughed, blushing deeply as his brothers smirked.

"So...any more bright ideas? 'Cause we're gonna need one," Raph told him.

"Well, we could try and use the cables from one of the old, underground trams and tie one end to the tram tower and the one to a sturdy rock ledge," Don had explained. Samantha was watching Leo zip across the ropes from the tech packs like he was on a zip line. "Thus creating a life-size version of the old block and tackle. The ledge should provide us with a good angle for optimum leverage. Then, I'll take the Turtle Tunneler down into the lava to hook the cable to the Crystal Moon. We can use the explosive geodes Sydney discovered to dislodge the tram tower from its foundation and topple it over. We'll be cutting it close, but it just might work."

"Just one question: who came up with this plan?! Whackos R Us?!" Mikey demanded, sounding completely shocked by the plan.

"It **is **a little...unorthodox," Don admitted. "But it'll work. I hope."

* * *

While the guys were overseeing the final details of the plan, Don was talking with Samantha outside the Turtle Tunneler. Sydney had insisted on going with Don, which wasn't sitting as well with Sam as she'd thought.

"Sydney's the only one who knows where the Crystal Moon went down, Samantha," Don insisted. "She doesn't have to do this, but I appreciate her help. And...hey. Wait a second. You...you're not..._jealous_, are you?"

"Please!" Samantha scoffed, looking away from Don and out at the lake of lava. "I'm _not_ jealous."

"Then why can't you look me in the face?" Don countered. Samantha turned and met his eyes before she turned away again. "I thought so."

"I'm sorry, Donny. It's just I..."

"Samantha, quit worrying. Sydney is and will always be just a friend. Just like how you are and always will be my life."

"It's just...what Raph said..."

"Yeah, well Raph sometimes takes things too far. Don't listen to him. The only girl I will ever eyes for is you."

"You're not gonna go off on some rant about how I shouldn't be jealous and that I should trust you more?"

"Well, I am disappointed that your trust in me wavered. But...I can't be calling the kettle black if I'm a black pot. I've been pretty jealous of...of Leo."

"Leo?!"

"He's just...always close to you. And something about that just...ticks me off. I mean, he can be a charmer when he wants to be, and I..."

"And you thought that he might turn that charm of his on to romance your girlfriend?"

"More like **seduce** her."

"Oh gosh! Relax, my sweet, turtle genius! You are and always be the only guy who can ever successfully seduce me."

"Thanks, my young tiger." He pressed a kiss to her lips which turned heated as she pulled him tightly to her, wanting desperately to be close to him. Their tongues battled sweetly, and Don's hands caressed her back so lovingly that Samantha felt like she was going to faint.

"Umm...I don't remember **this** being a part of the plan!" chuckled Mikey. Don and Samantha immediately jumped apart, blushing furiously as Mikey and Raph snickered. Leo didn't know whether to scold them or laugh. Don quickly pressed a chaste kiss to Samantha's lips before hurrying into the Turtle Tunneler. Turning once more to the girl he loved, he smiled at her. She smiled back and puckered her lips, blowing him a kiss. Don blushed as he caught it, and then the door closed as Samantha followed the others back up to the tram tower. When the last of the explosives were in place, Samantha and Raph nodded to Leo.

"Explosives in position," Leo reported through his headset to Donny.

"Now all we gotta do is sit back and wait fer Donny's signal," Raph said before a loud roar sounded through the necropolis. Turning on his lights, Leo shone them upwards towards the ledges of the city and saw at least half a dozen of the mutated monsters standing on the ledges.

"Or we could keep busy by **fighting for our lives**!" Mikey shouted as the monsters leapt down from the ledges and surrounded them.

"Donny! We've got company up here!" Leo informed him through the headset.

"Stall them," Don instructed. "But try not to hurt them."

"Hurt **them**?!" Mikey repeated in shock as he dodged an attack.

"I think we should be more worried about **them** hurting **us**!" Samantha corrected as she dodged a punch from one of the mutants. Closing her eyes, she felt herself floating from the ground and quickly opened them to see her vision red, but she was airborne and that was all that mattered to her.

"Come on, uglies! Follow the leader!" Mikey taunted, leaping up the stairs to the top. The fight kept going on, but at least they'd dragged them away from the explosives. Suddenly, she felt something behind her and barely managed to dodge a web attack from the spider creature. Then, an advanced, mutated form of Razorfist tried to take her out. But she managed to trip it up and off the ledge.

"Guys! Look out!" Leo shouted as the spider mutant crawled down the wall. Raph and Mikey began running, but the spider shot out its sticky web and caught them and Leo, imprisoning them tightly. Samantha gasped as she saw that they couldn't break free with strength alone.

"Let's go to the underground city, he says!" Mikey said in a nasally voice. "We'll have some laughs! We'll get **eaten**!" The monsters were surrounding them on all sides, and Samantha quickly reached into her belt and brought out her father's old whip. It was lengthy, but the rope was strong and a gold-colored handle made her feel like she was Indiana Jones. It had been her tenth birthday present, and she'd always carried it just in case she needed it.

"Sorry guys! But my friends aren't on the menu!" Samantha shouted before she cracked the whip and it wrapped around the opposite ledge. Unsheathing her _wakizashi,_ she swung in, dodging the monsters' attacks and sliced through the three cocoons, freeing all three Turtles at once.

"Nice save, Indiana!" Mikey called to her as the boys leapt to their feet and unsheathed their weapons. She nodded and then hurriedly leapt onto the black, tram tower with two monsters following after her.

"Sam's on da tram tower!" Raph shouted.

"I'll get her!" Leo shouted before launching his rope and hooking onto the tram tower and zipping off to get Samantha off of it.

"Guys! Go now!" Don ordered. Mikey nodded and then shot his own rope onto a ledge. Zipping up and out of the way, he pushed a button on his belt and activated the explosives. The tower began teetering as the base was demolished by the explosives. Samantha was frantically searching for somewhere to lasso her whip, but there was nowhere close enough or that looked particularly stable.

"Need a hand?" Leo asked as he landed beside her, shot the rope again and watched as it latched onto a nearby ledge.

"Thought you'd never ask!" Samantha shot back as Leo scooped her up bridal style. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "For luck," she replied when he stared at her in shock. Then, not a second too soon, they swung off the tower and flew through the air and landed safely on the ledge as the tower fell, drawing the Crystal Moon out of the lava. The brightness almost blinded Samantha and Leo, who shielded their eyes and watched down below as the monsters returned to their human forms.

"We did it!" Samantha cried, throwing herself onto Leo and hugging him. He stumbled back a little from her momentum, but he hugged her back. Then, they leapt down and joined Mikey and Raph for celebratory high-fives.

"Don! You did it!" Leo shouted into his headset. There was nothing but silence. Samantha's face paled when she saw the worried look on Leo's face.

"Don? Sydney? Can you hear me?" he called through the radio. There was nothing but a slight gurgling noise. His eyes betrayed him before his face did. Samantha's blood froze. _Donatello._

"Don!" she screamed, running towards the lava lake, the others hot on her heels. "Don! Sydney! Don! Sydney!"

"They didn't...they didn't make it," Mikey whispered grimly. Tears immediately began flowing down Samantha's cheeks. Don couldn't be...he couldn't. She felt someone's arms wrap around her, and she turned and cried into Raph's plastron as he held her. Just then, there was a bubbling sound from the lava, and Samantha and the others turned and saw the Turtle Tunneler emerge from the lava. And then...Don and Sydney emerged from the Tunneler alive and in one piece!

"DONATELLO!" Samantha yelled as she broke away from Raph and sprinted across the cavern grounds and into her boyfriend's open arms. He hugged her close and spun her around before setting her feet on the ground again.

"Don't you **ever** scare me like that again!" she scolded, hitting him in the back of his head before yanking his face to hers and kissing the life out of him.

"Trust me, babe," he whispered, breaking away for a second to breath. "I don't plan on scaring you or **me** like that ever again!" Then, his lips were back on hers before she finally broke apart and went and hugged Sydney.

"I'm so glad you're alright!" she whispered as Sydney hugged her back.

"That makes two of us!" Sydney giggled. Then, Samantha's eye fell on Donatello, who was watching the interaction between the two women closely.

"Thanks for keeping him safe for me," she told Sydney.

"No problem," she replied, winking. "Us girls gotta stick together, right? And watching over each other's boyfriends is only one way of doing that, right?"

"Right," Samantha giggled as Don's brothers gathered around their brother to congratulate him on a job well done. "Umm...Sydney? I need to apologize to you."

"What for?" she asked.

"I was...kinda jealous of you being around Donatello. I..."

"It's alright, Samantha. I understand. But let me say this: I've never seen a man look at a woman with as much love in his eyes as Donatello looks at you. You never have to doubt his love is yours, Samantha. All you need to do is look in his eyes, and you'll see that you're the only woman he'll ever want."

* * *

"This is it guys," Donatello said as he hauled Sydney up out of the manhole and into the alleyway. "Daylight again." All of the cured people gazed in wonderment and amazement at the sunlight. Sydney simply stood there staring at it.

"What's wrong?" Don asked.

"I...I'd forgotten how _beautiful_ it was!" Sydney breathed as she and the others began walking towards the alleyway and into the city.

"Thank you. From **all** of others," Sydney told Donatello, tears welling in her eyes. "We owe you our lives." Don simply waved as Sydney smiled and walked away with the others into the rising sun. Samantha gently took Don's hand and held it tightly. He squeezed back as he watched the last of the cured people from the underground city go forward to find their homes, friends and families.

"C'mon," Leo said, placing a hand on Don's shoulder. "Let's go home." Raph did a flip off the wall and shot down into the sewers, followed by Leo and then Mikey, each of them trying to show the others up. Finally, when it was Don's turn, Mikey popped his head back up.

"Donny, you may be a pain-in-the-shell, but...I'm glad that your my bro," Mikey told him, winking and smiling at him before he disappeared.

"And I'm glad that you're my boyfriend, Donatello Lucius Hamato," Samantha told him, kissing him briefly and sweetly on the lips. He responded to her kiss like a man who'd been in the desert without water for days. And Samantha loved every second of it. Sydney had been right. Even the way Don kissed her told her that he loved her more than anything. She didn't need to be jealous of any girl whom they crossed paths with because she now knew that Don was hers and only hers.

"C'mon _belle_," he whispered against her lips, holding her hands against his plastron and gazing into her beautiful, brown eyes as their foreheads touched. "Let's go home." Smiling at being called "Beautiful", she nodded and then backflipped down into the manhole followed closely by Donatello. Then, hand-in-hand, the two scurried to catch up with the others as they headed back to the Lair to relax and celebrate the fulfillment of their promise to the former residents of the underground city whom, thanks to Donatello's genius, were now re-uniting with their families, friends, and their old lives.

**Me: *walks in with missymousemonster* Hi everybody!**

**Don, Mikey and Raph: Hi Livangel16!**

**Me: This is missymousemonster, and she's my visiting fan. Be nice.**

**Mikey: Hi dudette! I'm Mikey! What's up?!**

**Missymousemonster: Hey Mikey! How's Halo coming along?**

**Mikey: I will master Halo no matter how long it takes! *does scary, crazy eye twitch***

**Don: Right. *pushes Mikey to the side* Donatello's the name. It's a pleasure to meet you.**

**Missymousemonster: It's an incredible pleasure to meet the incredible, genius turtle with one of the coolest O/C girlfriends ever!**

**Don: *blushes* Awww. Thanks. **

**Raph: Sup girlie? I'm Raph.**

**Missymousemonster: Raphael the hotheaded turtle. It's alright. Hotheads are cool in my book.**

**Raph: Aw yea! I'm cool. *starts humming *Sexy and I Know It* again***

**Me: Hum that song _one _more time, Raphael, and I swear that I am gonna...!**

**Leo: Hey guys. What's up? *sees missymousemonster* Oh. Hi. I'm Leo.**

**Missymousemonster: OMG OMG OMG OMG! LEO! *fangirl screams and jumps onto Leo, tackling him to the ground with a hug* Please don't think I'm weird!**

**Me: Oh no. He has fangirls jumping on him on a regular basis. **

**Raph: Unfortunately.**

**Don: Don't be a hater, Raph!**

**Leo: *gets up and helps up missymousemonster* You're certainly energetic. But if you keep this up, you'll burn out pretty quick. How about I teach you meditation? **

**Missymousemonster: SURE! *Leo sits missymousemonster on the dojo floor and corrects her posture and tells her to clear her mind of all else. Missymousemonster takes deep breath and begins meditation. Mediates about green, serene meadows and Leo, the ocean crashing against the shore and Leo, a beautiful sunset and...Leo.***

**Leo: Well...how'd you find it?**

**Missymousemonster: It was amazing! **

**Leo: You're one of the best students I've ever had.**

**Missymousemonster: Get out of town! You're lying!**

**Leo: I can't lie to save my life. But don't tell anybody. It'll be our little secret.**

**Missymousemonster: OUR...SECRET?**

**Leo: *chuckles and winks* Yes. _Our_ secret.**

**Missymousemonster: OK! Well...I have to go, but I WILL be back.**

**Leo: I'm counting on that. See ya around.**

**Missymousemonster: Bye..._Leonardo_. *turns to the others* Bye everybody.**

**Me, Mikey and Don: Bye!**

**Raph: *stops humming* See ya! *missymousemonster leaves***

**Leo: She's pretty cool. I hope she comes back.**

**Me: Yeah. And then she can meet Makayla.**

**Leo: True. Those two would probably get along great.**

**Me: Why? Because they're both dead in love with you?**

**Leo: That's one reason. Out of...how many amazing qualities do I have?**

**Raph: Geez, Fearless! Yer even more cocky dan me! Sheesh!**

**Me: Yeah. And if _you_ start humming "Sexy And I Know It", then somebody's getting their ninja butt whooped!**

**Two more to go!**


	53. Chapter 53

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Fifty Three

Sam watched as Leo and Raph leapt across the rooftops. Their usual nightly patrol no doubt. She smiled as she shadowed them across the roofs. She watched as Leo aimed his katana at the bull's eye target on a billboard, but only got one of the outer circles. He looked visibly disappointed, and Samantha felt badly for him. She knew how important is was to him to be a highly-skilled, accurate ninja. And speaking of accuracy, Samantha slid an arrow out of her quiver and positioned it on her bow before drawing the bowstring back and squinting as she took a deep breath.

"Leo, I don't know about all dem fancy moves!" Raph teased, throwing his sai and striking the bull's eye dead in the center. "I prefer just getting da job done!" As he went to retrieve his sai, an arrow came flying from out of nowhere and struck the center of the bull's eye alongside Raph's sai. Raph and Leo immediately drew their weapons when a black-clothed figure landed on the roof alongside them, a bow in hand, a quiver of arrows and a _wakizashi_ slung across the figure's back.

"Easy there, boys! It's just me," Samantha told them, removing the black mask from across her face. Raph and Leo immediately put away their weapons and breathed a sigh of relief.

"What are ya doing out here, Princess?" Raph asked.

"Needed to sharpen up my archery skills," Samantha replied, gesturing to the bow in her hand.

"Well, they're pretty good," Leo observed. "Your arrow not only made the bull's eye, but it almost caught Raph."

"Yeah. Sorry about that, Raph," Samantha apologized. Raph grunted as a way of saying _No big deal, but if you do it again, I'm gonna pound ya, Don's girlfriend or not! _"I **was** surprised to see **you** miss the bull's eye, Leo," she said to the blue bandana turtle. "You're usually so...accurate."

"It's 'cause of all dose fancy moves he's trying ta do, Princess," Raph informed her, smirking at his brother.

"Master Splinter says that grace and form should flow together in beauty, creating true power," Leo told Raph as he retrieved his katana and gazed at his reflection in the shiny blade.

"I know you wanna be the best, Leo," Samantha said, looking at him. "But, and I don't know if you've noticed this...you're **18**! Live a little, would ya?!"

"She's got a point bro. Dat stuff ya just said is a little too intense," Raph chuckled, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Ya gotta relax a little." He went to the ledge of the roof. "How about a little game o' "Follow Da Leader"?!"

"And since **when **did you become the leader?" Leo asked, smirking.

"Since right now," Raph replied boldly before backflipping onto the roof across the street.

"Oh it is on like Donkey Kong!" Samantha laughed before doing an elegant flip in the air and landing on her feet as she followed after Raph, Leo close behind her.

"Not for long you're not!" Leo chuckled as he hurried after them. Laughing, Samantha hurried after Raph across rooftops, backflipping and running and just generally laughing and having a good time with the guys.

"Just yer friendly, neighborhood Turtleman!" Raph shouted as he swung off on the rope hanging from a water tower.

"You look more like Raph-san, Lord of the Jungle to me!" Leo teased as he and Samantha both broke off ropes and swung alongside Raph. Samantha laughed as her hair went flying back. She'd never had so much fun in her life. Leo was swinging alongside her, smiling as he took in the laughing, carefree girl. Maybe she was right. Maybe he **was** a too uptight and needed some relaxation time.

"So what's dat make you and da Princess? Jane and a cheetah?" Raph shot back, smirking.

"Hardy-harr-harr!" Samantha scoffed, rolling her eyes. Just then, the screeching sound of tires made them turn the ropes around. Landing elegantly on the rooftop after Raph, Samantha and Leo hurried over to the ledge he was standing at.

"Shhh!" Raph motioned, pointing down into the dark alley below. "Some kinda deal going down!"

"You got the stuff?!" the man with the purple coat asked. He was holding a silver briefcase in his hand, and his tie was seriously ugly.

"Do **you** have the payment?" the man in the shadows inquired harshly.

"I know him," Samantha whispered, pointing to the man in the purple. "He's a mob boss."

"Yeah. I know him, too," Raph replied grimly, his eyes narrowing when he saw the mobster boss smirking.

"Right here," he told him, tossing the silver briefcase to the man in the shadows, who caught it and set it at his feet before opening it and beginning to count the money.

"Hey! You actually gonna count it?!" the mob boss inquired, sounding nervous. "We ain't got all night!"

"Uh-oh!" Samantha said to the others. "This isn't gonna be good!"

"This is only **half **of what we agreed!" the man in the shadows growled.

"You'll get the other half of the money once we leave with the stuff!" the mob boss chuckled, adjusting his tie.

"**Really** bad move," Samantha commented quietly when she saw the man slid the briefcase to one side with his foot.

"**You** are not going to leave," the man in the shadows said, emerging and revealing, to Samantha's shock, that he was one of the Shredder's Elite Guard. "Foot Ninjas! Exterminate these insects!" Suddenly, there was a whole squadron of Foot Ninjas in the alley as their leader took out the pitchfork-like weapon and pointed it at the mob boss.

"Exterminate **me?!** We'll exterminate **you**! Let 'em have it, boys!" the mob boss ordered. His men immediately began firing their laser guns at the Foot Ninjas. The fight was crazy and sporadic, and as Samantha watched it, it seemed like the Foot had the upper hand, being ninjas and all. Just then, a laser gun blast hit the ledge where they were watching the fight from.

"Hey!" Leo shouted, drawing his katanas and preparing to leap into the fight when both Raph and Samantha grabbed him and held him back.

"Whoa, Leo! Where're ya goin'?!" Raph demanded. "Dose are all bad guys down dere!"

"It...it's just not right," Leo told him and Samantha as he stepped back from the ledge.

"Right or wrong, it's **not our fight**," Raph insisted.

"I'm not so sure about that, Raph," Leo countered as the sound of a police chopper filled the air. The spotlight shone directly down into the alley.

"This is the police! Freeze! Drop your weapons!" an officer ordered over a megaphone. The sound of wailing sirens filled the air as police cruisers swarmed the scene. Foot Ninjas and mobsters alike scrambled away from the police officers who were chasing them.

"Dere. Ya see?" Raph told Leo, smiling slightly. "Here come da good guys. A happy ending." Raph walked away, but Samantha stayed by Leo's side, her eyes scanning his face. He was unsure, hesitant, and a little guilty. All of which were dangerous to her Protector.

"I don't know about that, Raph," Leo muttered aloud. "I really don't know."

* * *

Karai was busy pummeling her practice dummy, improving her combat skills, when the phone rang. Doing a series of back flips, she answered it. Her dark hair was short, but long enough to suit her. She had a serious face with green eyes, pink lips and a small nose. Men had called her attractive, but she had never really cared for what the weaklings who chased after her like lovestruck puppies thought. She was too busy for such nonsense as romance.

"Report," she ordered.

"It is as we feared, Mistress Karai," the voice on the other end informed her. "The word on the street is that the Shredder is no more. Several different factions are fighting for territory. The city...is at war."

"Fuel the jet," she commanded her two servants. They bowed to her. "It is time to bring order to the chaos." She leapt into the air and kicked the practice dummy so hard that its head and body went flying in two, separate directions. As pretty as she might be, Karai knew for a fact that she was lethal.

"**My way.**"

* * *

Leo was watching the news, and all Samantha could hear was the reporters all talking about the spike in gang activity and the innocent people being hurt in the crossfire between these gangs. She felt her heart seize as she watched his face sadden, then anger. She hated to see him like this: so angry, so guilt-ridden, so...hurt. She loved Leo's empathy and sympathy for others, but he needed to draw the line somewhere. They'd taken the Shredder out because he'd murdered innocent people like Bushido and Master Yoshi and all for the sake of power and revenge. The Shredder deserved what had happened to him. But as she watched Leo focus on the target, yet miss it with his fancy moves, she couldn't help but think of the innocent people getting caught in a war that'd started because they'd taken out the head of the biggest crime organization in the city. Samantha felt a little guilty about it, but the sacrifice her father had made, the suffering and pain she'd endured at the hands of the Shredder, were enough to convince her that they'd done the right thing.

"You are troubled, my son?" Master Splinter asked, though he could see full well that Leonardo was greatly troubled.

"I...I'm confused, Master Splinter," Leo confessed. "I was hoping that things would've changed when we got rid of the Shredder. You know...for the better. But it seems like everything just got worse."

"Are you out of your green gourd?!" Raph demanded, hands on his hips. "We did the city a **favor**!"

"**Did we**?! Did we **really**?!" Leo demanded, walking forward with his katanas still unsheathed. Mikey and Don now stood beside Samantha and watched as the two elder brothers faced off. "Raph, don't you see what's going on up there?! The city's at **war**! Don't you feel just a **little** bit responsible?!"

"No!" Raph snapped. "It's not our deal!"

"Yes it is!" Leo argued. "Even if we didn't mean to make things worse, we **did**. Don't ask me to explain it. But it...it just seems like our fault."

"I kinda know what he means," Mikey jumped in. Raph shoved him back.

"Nobody asked you, Mikey!" Raph growled. Just then, Samantha's Shell-cell began ringing and she excused herself quickly to take the call.

"Leonardo," Master Splinter sighed. Leo sheathed his katanas and listened patiently to his master. "If one shoulders the weight of the world, all one will accomplish is to be crushed under the world's weight."

"I don't understand, Sensei!" Leo said frustrated. "We set out to do something good. It turned out bad. But the truth is, we started it. How can we just walk away?!"

"I do not wish to discuss this, Leonardo," Master Splinter said, shaking his head. "You must listen to me and let this go. It is too dangerous for you to get involved in this war going on up there. For now, you must do nothing."

"I'm sorry Master, but I can't **do nothing**!" Leo told him firmly. "**I can't**!" He was walking away towards the entrance.

"Leonardo! **Leonardo!**" Master Splinter called out, but all Leo did was turn and look back on his family before striding out the door.

"Dude," Mikey said, sounding quite disappointed.

"Ah! What a bonehead!" Raph groaned, walking away. Master Splinter sighed and shook his head.

"One big, happy family!" Don declared sarcastically. Just then, Samantha returned with her Shell-cell in hand, her face stricken. Don immediately noticed it and was by her side in an instant. "Sam?! What's wrong?!"

"I just a call from Makayla's parents," Samantha informed them as Don, Mikey, Raph and Master Splinter grouped around her.

"What'd dey say?" Raph asked.

"Makayla's in the hospital," Samantha continued.

"Ah man! That's rough!" Mikey sighed.

"What happened to her?" Don asked, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"She...she was... shot... in a drive-by shooting," Samantha replied in a whisper.

"WHAT?!" Raph shouted in disbelief, his hands immediately taking out his sais.

"This is not good," Master Splinter muttered.

"How'd it happen?" Mikey inquired.

"She was walking home from her judo lessons when a car drove by and people started firing from it," Samantha explained. "There were other people on the sidewalk. They must've been aiming for someone in the crowd. Makayla and five other people were hit. One of them is dead."

"Is** she** alright?" Don asked.

"The bullet missed her left lung by an inch and a half. Her parents called me when she was out of surgery. They said she'll be OK. "

"So...who gets to tell our hotheaded leader that his girlfriend got shot in a drive-by?" Mikey questioned.

"Nobody, 'cause we ain't tellin' him **nothin'**!" Raph snapped.

"Raphael, are you insane?! We **have** to tell him!" Samantha argued. "He has a right to know!"

"Ya already saw what happened when he watched da news and heard about people he didn't know getting caught up in dis! He went nuts!" Raph countered hotly. "Imagine how crazy he'll go if he finds out about **dis**!"

"She's his **girlfriend,** Raph!" Samantha snarled. "God forbid the same thing happen to Tonya or Olivia or me and Leo found out from our parents, you guys would wanna know! Donny, I know you'd beat the shell out of your brothers for them to tell you if it was me!"

"I know, Samantha. And I would," Don told her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "But Leo is a completely different person from me. Raph's right. Maybe we **should** delay telling him about Makayla."

"But...!"Samantha protested.

"They are right, Princess Bushido-san," Master Splinter cut in firmly. "We shall not tell him until the time is right." She sighed.

"Fine. I won't say a word until it's necessary," Samantha told them. Then, she turned to Master Splinter. "I need to go and see her, Master Splinter. She'd want me to be there."

"Go," Master Splinter told her. "And give my regards to her parents as well as wish her a speedy recovery."

"_Hai_, Sensei," she replied, bowing before she took off down the same entrance that Leo had.

"Ya know she's goin' after him, right Sensei?" Raph informed him.

"Yes. I know," Master Splinter replied in his serious tone. "She is trying to keep her Protector safe. But although it is admirable of her, it is also very foolish. I know my son better than anyone, and protecting him when he is in such a state would be a task that even the most skilled warrior would find difficult."

* * *

Samantha watched from a distance as Leonardo sat alone on the water tower. She knew she shouldn't have lied to Master Splinter, but who else was gonna watch his back? He was her Protector, and she cared about him. And damn it if she wasn't gonna watch his back and keep him from getting hurt!

Then, she saw them in the distance. The Foot. She gritted her teeth. Whatever those bastards were up to, it wasn't good. And she saw Leo stand and leap onto the adjacent rooftop. He was going after them.

"Why do you **always** have to go after the bad guys, Leo?" she muttered under her breath as she swiftly followed him like a shadow. She saw the Foot and the Elite Guard exiting a warehouse and sealing it shut. There must be something majorly important in that warehouse that they didn't want anyone to find. And Leo leapt onto the roof as soon as the coast was clear and broke in to investigate. Samantha took out her uncle's new night-vision goggles which had a built-in camera with mega-zoom and put them on. She could see right into the building, a clear visual on Leo. "And why do you **always** have to go and investigate something that's usually..." She gasped when she saw the unconscious mobsters lying on the ground and then the bomb in the corner that would detonate in under one minute. "A trap?" she finished.

"C'mon Leo! Get out of there!" she hissed as she watched him grab one of the mobsters and haul him towards a garbage chute. "What is he **doing**?!" Finally, when the last of the mobsters was in the trash, she saw him approaching the bomb. "Leo! Don't be **crazy**!" He sliced into it, revealing the wires. "Oh my God, Leo! Don't do this!" She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again and seeing that the bomb was disarmed. She breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"Thank God!" she breathed. "Now you can..." But she gasped when she saw the bomb reactivate. "Get the shell out of there!" She saw him running towards the window, but the bomb exploded before he could get out of the warehouse. Fortunately, the explosion muffled her scream as she saw him launched through the glass and into the water, a large piece of concrete following right after him. She saw the Foot and the Elite hurry across the pier and out of sight. Leaping down from the rooftop, Samantha dove into the freezing waters, thanking her uncle that he'd made her battle suits insular against the cold. Swimming towards the piers, she saw Leo floating unconscious in the water, eyes closed. She quickly grabbed his wrist tightly in her hand and then, praying that she didn't have to be on land for this, held her Amulet above her head in the water, concentrating on the Lair. There was a bright flash of light, and then the two were gone.

* * *

"This town ain't big enough for all of us!" Mikey declared, placing his toy robot on the large map of New York City he had spread out in front of him. There was also a large, yellow duck toy and a bobble-head ninja on the map, facing off with the robot. Rolling a pair of dice, Mikey moved the bobble-head forward.

"I am Foot Ninja! You cannot stand against me!" Mikey exclaimed. "MUWHAHAHAHA!"

"Uh...you feeling OK, Mikey?" Don asked, sounding quite concerned.

"I'm figuring out what's going on with the gangs courtesy of tabletop gaming," Mikey explained. "See, this guy's the Foot," he said, pointing to the bobble-head. "They used to own the whole map. But with the Shredder gone, the others have started to grab for territory. Near as I can guess from the news reports, the Purple Dragons," he said, pointing to the yellow duck, "have made a power play and grabbed a bunch of territory," he said, knocking over the bobble-head with the duck. "The Foot Ninja are losing territory to the mobsters _and _the Purple Dragons. It's chaos!"

"Thank you for that...informative and concise explanation," Don told him, sounding slightly unsettled by this.

"The real question is: what're the mobsters going to do, now that they're in third place?" Mikey wondered aloud, staring at the robot.

"I..." Don began to say, but just then, a flash of bright caught his and Mikey's attention. Just then, Samantha and Leo were standing in the midst of the Lair, both of them soaking wet, like they'd just gone for a swim in the East River.

"Mikey! Don! Help me! He's hurt!" Samantha grunted, holding Leo's arm over her shoulders. He was leaning against her, unconscious for the time being. Mikey and Don quickly rushed over and took over from Samantha as she followed them to the couch. Laying him down on it, she quickly sat beside him.

"What da shell happened?!" Raph demanded, coming over and seeing Leo unconscious.

"There was a warehouse explosion," she explained. "The Foot and the Elite tried to kill some of the mobsters with a bomb. Leo got them out in time and then barely got out himself."

"He **saved** dose goons?!" Raph asked her, sounding horrified. "Has he completely lost it?! Of all the stupid, idiotic, completely insane...!"

"Raph, let me handle this," she advised.

"No way, Princess!" Raph snapped. "When he wakes up, I'm gonna seriously...!"

"Hamato Raphael, **let... me... handle it**!" Samantha growled, facing off with the hotheaded turtle of the four. Don and Mikey watched in amazement as Raph backed down.

"Fine. But da next time he does dis stupid, **I'm** handlin' it!" Raph told her firmly.

"Wouldn't have it any other way, Hothead," Samantha shot back, smiling slightly before patting him on the shoulder. Raph, with one last glance at Leo, stalked off to his practice dummy to pummel it.

"Don, get me an ice pack, bandages and some alcohol to cleanse his cuts," Samantha told the genius turtle. Don nodded and hurried off to get them. "Mikey, can you get me a bowl of warm water and a cloth? That river water was freezing cold."

"Sure, Sammy," Mikey replied before hurrying off to the kitchen. Samantha turned back to Leo, his eyes still closed. She touched his cheek, stroking it lightly.

"Why did you do this, _bushi_?" she whispered to him, her fingers trailing down his face lightly. "What's gotten into you?" Just then, Mikey and Don returned with the supplies. Ringing out the excess water, Sam immediately began to bathe Leo's face and neck with the warm water. He moaned and his eyes slowly started to flutter open. Then, he was looking up at Mikey, Don and Samantha.

"Hey guys," Leo said, sitting up but then flopping back down thanks to a pain in his head. "What happened?"

"You mean you don't remember when you went into a warehouse that was rigged to explode, saved a bunch of mobsters, failed to disarm a bomb and barely escaped with your life?!" Samantha demanded, narrowing her eyes at him.

"No. I remember all that," Leo replied, rubbing his aching head. He hissed in pain when he touched a spot near the back.

"Don't touch," Samantha advised him, removing his hand and placing the icepack behind his head. "You bruised it. And other than a few cuts from the glass and a headache, you got lucky." She immediately dabbed some of the alcohol onto a sterile rag. Then, she turned to Mikey and Don.

"Could you give us a minute?" she asked them.

"Sure thing, Sammy," Mikey answered as Don opened his mouth to protest. He seized Don by the arm and dragged him away from the two and into a dark corner of the layer.

"I don't like this, Mikey!" Don hissed at him. "Him and her **alone**?!"

"Donny, would you relax?!" Mikey whispered harshly. "He's not gonna try and seduce her or something! Yeesh! Why don't you trust her?!"

"It's not her I don't trust!" Don fired back.

"Then if you can't trust your own brother, then something's **seriously **wrong with you," Mikey told him bluntly. "Samantha is in love with you, Donny. For goodness sake, she slept with you! She gave you her virginity! If that doesn't say something about how she feels about you, I don't know what will! This jealously is gonna end up destroying your relationship with her sooner or later if you don't cut it out!"

"I'm sorry Mikey. I...I just...I just don't wanna lose her."

"**You won't**! And the sooner you start believing it, the better it'll be for all of us! Especially you and her!"

* * *

"This cut's kinda deep," she warned Leo as she touched the tip of the alcohol-saturated cloth to the wound.

"Ouch! That stings!" Leo snapped, pulling his arm away.

"Oh quit being such a baby, my Fearless leader!" she scoffed, rolling her eyes and pulling his arm back towards her. "I barely touched it!"

"Yeah right," Leo snorted, rolling his eyes and hissing with pain as she cleaned the wound and bandaged it. He watched her, her sopping, dark hair falling in front of her face. She'd come after him and saved his life. She was taking care of his injuries. She cared about him.

"Thanks for saving my life," he told her gratefully. She looked up for a moment and met his eyes.

"You're welcome," she replied. "But I still wanna know what would possess you to go and do something stupid like this!"

"You don't understand, Samantha," Leo answered, turning his face away from her. "I mean, you suffered at the hands of the Shredder. You saw your own father murdered right in front of you. You wanted the Shredder dead. And I know he's evil, and he needed to be stopped, but I...I don't expect you to feel bad for those people. You got your revenge. You're satisfied."

"Leonardo, look at me." He turned and looked into her brown eyes, which were blazing with passion and anger. "Yes. I wanted the Shredder dead because of what he did to my father. But that doesn't mean that I'm an uncaring monster. But Raph is right. This isn't our war."

"I can't see that being true, Samantha. We're responsible for it, even if we didn't mean to do it. Innocent people are getting hurt. I understand if you don't care about them but..."

"What?! Leo, I do care about innocent people getting hurt! How dare you think otherwise! Especially after Makayla...!" She stopped and covered her mouth with both hands, but the damage was done.

"Makayla?!" Leo repeated in shock, sitting up despite the pain in his head. "What happened to her?!"

"Nothing," Sam lied, turning her face away from him. He caught her chin with his hand and turned her face back to his.

"You're lying to me, Samantha!" he growled. "Now tell me what happened!"

"Leo, I..."

"TELL ME!"

"Alright! She...she was shot in a drive-by shooting. She wasn't the target, but she got hit." He released his hold on her and looked away, his eyes burning with sadness and guilt. "Leonardo, it's **not** your fault."

"Yes it is! If we hadn't slain the Shredder, then the city...Makayla...she wouldn't...!" Samantha seized Leo's face between her hands and drew him so close to her that she could've easily kissed him without any effort.

"Listen good, Hamato Leonardo! This is **not** your fault! The doctors said she's gonna be fine! And God so help me that I don't kill you for almost taking yourself away from us!"

"Us?"

"Us! Your brothers, Master Splinter, April, Casey, the girls, Makayla! Me!" He looked at her when she said that, her eyes burning with tears. "Stay out of this war, Leo! You'll live to regret it if you don't! If you even live, that is!"

"Alright, Samantha. I promise. No more stunts like tonight." She breathed a sigh of relief and placed a sisterly kiss on his forehead.

"Thank you. Now, lay back down and let me get the rest of these injuries looked after."

* * *

"I don't believe this!" Samantha hissed. They were following Leo as he followed the Foot Ninjas and the Elite. "Not even an hour later, he's back following these guys! He said he wouldn't do this again!"

"Nothin' stops Fearless when he's on a guilty trip, Samantha," Raph informed her grimly as they followed stealthily behind their brother. "Not even his word to you." They landed on the roof at the same time he did and watched as he drew out his katana blades and prepared to leap into battle.

"We've gotta stop him, you guys!" Samantha hissed. She, Mikey and Don ran forward and grabbed Leo by the arms, pulling him back. Sam leapt onto his shell and covered his mouth with her hand to keep him from shouting. He broke free, shaking off Samantha and was prepared to fight when he saw who his assailants were.

"Geez! Anybody would think you weren't happy to see us!" Mikey commented, waving slightly.

"What're you guys doing here?" Leo asked.

"Funny. I could ask **you** the same thing, Leonardo!" Samantha said pointedly, crossing her arms over her chest. He didn't answer her but turned to Don instead.

"We're making sure that you don't into something you can't get out of on your own," Don informed him, fists clenched.

"Yeah. We're like the cavalry," Mikey told Leo. "Except without the horses." Raph was over by the chimney, still slightly mad about this whole thing.

"We shouldn't be here, Leo!" Raph told him bluntly. "Dis ain't our war!" Just then, Foot Ninjas surrounded them on all sides. They were like myriads of locusts or hornets, weapons drawn and looking to be used.

"Well...looks like it's our war **now**!" Mikey gulped as everyone whipped out their weapons. The Foot Ninjas flew forward and attacked. Samantha's _wakizashi_ slashed through many of them as her punches and kicks felled many more. But more and more of them kept coming in droves.

"Sometimes, I get the feeling that this is **never** gonna get old!" Samantha shouted, slamming two Foot Ninjas, one with her wakizashi and the other with her right foot.

"I second dat motion, Princess!" Raph yelled back as he took out a Foot Ninja with his sais.

"Say! Haven't we met?!" Mikey bantered. "At the big fight of Shredder's! Ah, come on! You have to remember!" His nunchuck wrapped around the sword, and Mikey quickly pulled it out of the ninja's hand. "I knocked you right on your...!" Mikey allowed that sentence to remain unfinished as he knocked out the Foot Ninja. Then, he looked up. "Uh-oh!" he exclaimed, just as three Foot Ninjas kicked into right down into their training room.

"Mikey! No!" Raph shouted, kicking away the Foot Ninjas he was battling before running and tackling three more as he freefell into the room where the Foot were training, knocking all three out. He hurried over to Mikey who was rubbing his head.

"I'm OK," Mikey told him as Raph helped him up.

"You'd better be bro!" Raph told him grimly as more Foot Ninjas surrounded them. "Ya ain't alone!"

"Mikey and Raph went down inside!" Leo shouted to Don and Samantha as he blocked a sword blow. "We'd better stick together!"

"You got it!" Samantha replied, doing a swift phoenix kick that sent the Foot Ninja flying into two others. Leaping down into the training room, Samantha did a backflip and an Ariel Striker attack floor at least ten Foot Ninjas.

"What took ya so long, Princess?!" Raph demanded playfully before his face turned grim again as the Foot Ninjas approached them.

"Heads up!" Don shouted as he and Leo dove in and pushed back all of the Foot Ninjas surrounding them.

"Snappy entrance, boys!" she told them, giving them a thumbs-up before she blocked a sword stroke from a Foot Ninja and then leaping away where she fought hard against an oncoming wave.

"What do you say we give her a hand, guys?" Leo told his brothers. They all nodded before they fist-bumped and leapt into the fight.

"Wait! A bo staff and a room full of guys who all look the same?" Don thought aloud. "Time to try out one of my favorite movie stunts!" Don slammed his bo staff into the ground and spun around on it, but failed miserably and fell to the ground. "Well **that** was a complete failure!"

"Ya need a crash course in reality, Donny!" Raph informed him, leaping into the fray. "Lesson One!" Raph shouted, punching a Foot Ninja. "Lesson Two!" He kicked another away. "Lesson Three!" He did a savage uppercut punch that floored the third ninja along with his two buddies. "Class dismissed!"

Samantha sliced down a Foot Ninja when one caught her in the back with a kick. She stumbled to the side and another swept her feet out from underneath her. She quickly rolled to avoid a sword stroke that might have killed her. The others were in the same straits as her.

"I don't wanna complain, but there seems to be an awful lot of these guys!" Mikey told them as they stood in a pentagon, backs and shells to one another, weapons ready, surrounded on all sides by Foot Ninjas. Just then, there was a loud blasting noise that sounded like a laser. Then, a wall near the street exploded, sending rock flying everywhere.

"Take cover!" Samantha shouted as she and the Turtles quickly leapt out of the way of the flying debris. Coughing, she watched as, through the dust, a huge, silver robot came through. It looked like some sort of giant insect, with four, metal claws and a body like that of a beetle.

"Cool!" Mikey breathed. Just then, the robot shot yellow-colored lasers from its eyes, almost hitting Mikey and Samantha as they ducked back behind the columns.

"Not cool! Not cool!" Mikey screamed.

"Gee! Ya think?!" Samantha shouted back sarcastically. Just then, she saw Leo leap out from behind his hiding place and rush towards the robot. Then with a fancy move, he stabbed it right in the center of its eyes with both katana blades. Pulling them out, he did a backflip off the robot and landed in a stylish position as the robot began turning on its side and staggering, sending random

"I hope yer happy, Leo!" Raph growled. "I hope dat doing da right thing was worth it!"

"Guys! Quit it!" Samantha yelled, dodging pieces of the falling roof. "We need a plan!"

"Grab the beam and hold it up!" Don shouted. Hurrying over, everyone grabbed onto it and held it up as the entire rundown structure came crashing down. Fortunately, the beam was holding up a large slab of concrete. Unfortunately, the weight was starting to take its toll on Samantha's shoulders.

"Good thinking, Don!" Leo told him. "Grabbing this beam really...saved our shells!"

"Yeah! It almost makes up for Big-Brain Leo leading us straight into a...!" Raph growled and glaring at Leo, but Samantha immediately cut in.

"Guys! Not...the...time!" she snarled, holding up the beam next to Leo. She was literally in-between him and Raph and this was the **last** thing she wanted to hear right now.

"She's right!" Don agreed. "Let's continue this discussion elsewhere!"

"Everybody! Move on "three!"" Leo ordered. "One! Two! Three!" All five friends let go of the beam just as it snapped and leapt out of the ruins of the building as it caved in behind them.

"OK? What was the deal with that kamikaze robot?" Don asked.

"Looks like there's a new player in the mix," Mikey theorized.

"Great!" Samantha groaned, rotating her aching shoulder. "Just what New York needs: more trouble!"

"Da Princess is right!" Raph growled. Then, he rounded on Leo, poking him hard in the plastron. "And if them almost droppin' a building on our heads don't convince you dat we should stay outta dis, I don't know what will!"

"Since when do **you** run from a fight?!" Leo snapped, slapping Raph's hand away from him.

"First, I ain't runnin'!" Raph argued. "Second, dis wasn't our fight ta begin with!"

"Well guess what?! It's our fight now, Hothead!" Leo countered sharply.

"Who're you callin' Hothead?!" Raph demanded, getting up in Leo's face. Just then, Samantha, Don and Mikey heard a rumbling sound coming from the ruins of the Foot's damaged training grounds. "I ain't da one who dragged us into dis mess!" Just then, a robot claw emerged from the rubble.

"Uh...guys?" Don prodded as they slowly began to back away.

"Oh right! You're the levelheaded one who fights for honor only when it's convenient!" Leo snarled as he and Raph looked ready to duke it out in the middle of the street. Then, they saw another cloud of smoke emerge from the rubble.

"Guys?" Mikey told them.

"You sayin' I ain't got no...!" Raph began to say.

"GUYS!" Samantha screamed. That was enough for them to stop fighting and turn to see the robot emerge from the rubble and begin blasting more lasers at the Foot Ninjas and the five friends. Attacking this thing was harder than it looked, but what really confused Samantha was that the Foot weren't attacking them at all. Not even a punch was aimed at her as they battled the robot. And she wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Fighting side-by-side with da Foot?!" Raph observed. "Now you **know** dis has gotta be wrong!"

"Once the robot is defeated, we will destroy you all!" the Elite Guard with the double axe growled, slicing at the robot before leaping away.

"Now **that's** the Foot we know and loathe!" Don grunted as he tried to free his bo staff from the robot's claw. Just then, a bus came speeding around the corner. Samantha gasped as the robot threw them off and blasted the bus several times with its lasers. It swerved violently several times before skidding to a halt, the people on board screaming and running from the scene.

"Please! Somebody help me!" someone called from inside the bus.

"Someone's trapped in there!" Samantha shouted as she blocked the robot's claw with the sword.

"Leo! What the shell do ya think you're doing?!" Raph shouted as Samantha saw Leo take off for the bus to help the person.

"There's innocent people in there! We've got to get them out!" Leo yelled back as he hopped inside the bus and sliced his way through to the injured man.

"What **are** you?" the man asked as Leo threw the tangled metal off of him.

"A figment of your imagination," Samantha supplied. Leo turned and saw her standing nearby. She smiled at him before she helped the man up with Leo and her supporting him. "You hit your head pretty hard. C'mon. Let's get you out of here!" Together, they hauled the man out of the bus and got him to safety.

"Thanks Samantha," Leo told her gratefully.

"Hope this proves that I do care about innocent bystanders, Leo," Samantha shot back, looking at him dead in the eye.

"It does," he replied, blushing slightly. "And I'm sorry for doubting that you did."

"C'mon," she told him. "Let's finish this robot. And after that, I think there's a certain young lady who needs a visit from her knight-in-shining-armor."

* * *

"Mistress Karai. One of our New York sources recovered this security footage from a warehouse prematurely demolished," her servant said, handing her a small laptop with the footage from it. On the jet, she saw a figure running across the screen. With a few key strokes, she'd managed to clean up the image and revealed a tall, mutant turtle with katana swords strapped across his shell and a blue bandana around his eyes.

"Interesting," she said, smiling cruelly as she studied the image.

* * *

Samantha and the others were hidden behind a large piece of concrete as the robot continued pelting them relentlessly with lasers. Two Foot Ninjas also leapt close by, hoping to find cover from the relentless attacks.

"Back off, Footheads! Dis is **our** barricade!" Raph snarled, drawing his sais. The others stood and drew their weapons, but Don interrupted them.

"Wait guys! I think I see how we can stop this robot!" he shouted to them, spotting some frayed power lines that were emitting sparks of electricity. "I just need to get to those downed power lines!"

"Forget it!" Raph growled as he ran for the damaged bus. "I know how ta stop Tin-Butt!"

"Raph, wait! Listen to me!" Leo yelled.

"Listening ta **you** is what got us into dis mess in da first place!" Raph shouted back as he strapped himself in and drove the bus forward towards the robot at ramming speed.

"Raph, no!" Samantha screamed, but it was too late. One of the lasers hit the bus's gasoline tank, causing the fluid to leak out. Then, another hit took the bus out completely, sending it crashing onto roof before it flipped onto its side and trapped Raph inside it.

"No!" Don shouted.

"Raph! No!" Leo yelled, leaping out from behind the barricade.

"Hang on, Raph!" Samantha shouted, following after him. Leo sliced through the glass of the doors before prying them open.

"Raph! Are you alright, bro?!" Leo asked anxiously.

"Yea! I think so!" Raph replied, sounding pretty grouchy about having to be rescued by his older brother. Samantha shook her head. Some things **never** changed.

"Well, you don't deserve to be!" Leo snarled. "That hothead move you pulled nearly got your shell waxed!" Just then, Samantha sniffed the air several times and gasped.

"Gasoline," she whispered in horror. Then, she peered outside and saw not only that the fluid was pouring rapidly from the tank, but that the robot was approaching the ruined bus.

"Guys!" she shouted.

"Oh! So it's OK when **your** mistakes blow up in our faces?!" Raph demanded as Leo tried to pull him free. Sam looked outside and saw that the robot had ignited the gasoline and that the flames were heading straight for them.

"Guys!" she yelled.

"Getting involved in this gang war was **not** a mistake!" Leo argued.

"Oh yeah! It was a noble, heroic effort. Thank you, Leonardo. The streets are **so** much safer thanks to you!" Raph snapped.

"GUYS!" she screamed.

"WHAT?!" they both yelled at the same time.

"In case you didn't notice, that robot just ignited the gasoline that's leaking from this bus, and the flames ARE ALMOST RIGHT ON TOP OF US!" she screeched at them angrily. "Let's GO! NOW!" Leo sliced through the driver's seat, causing Raph to fall straight on his head. Helping turn him around, Samantha sliced through the seatbelts.

"Leo, Sam, Raph!" Don yelled. "Get out of there now!" They hurried away and Samantha saw the flames touch the gas tank. There was no time to get any further from it than they were.

"GET DOWN!" she hollered, throwing all three of them onto the concrete as the bus exploded.

"Whatever you do, don't say I owe you one," Raph growled to Leo. Samantha groaned and stood up, throwing her hands in the air in frustration.

"Mikey! Herd the robot this way!" Don shouted, holding the downed power lines in his hands.

"Herd him? You got it, Hoss!" Mikey yelled back. "Yeehaw!" He ran forward and began dodging the robot's attacks along with the Foot Ninjas and the Elite Guard. They back up the robot until its claws were in the water.

"That's it!" Don yelled before pressing the two wires against the water and leaping away. The robot short-circuited and then collapsed into the small river, completely destroyed.

"Nice job, guys!" Mikey complimented the Foot Ninjas and the Elite.

"Destroy the Turtles and the Bushido girl!" one of the Elite roared as the tide immediately turned and the Foot and Elite prepared to take out Mikey. He leapt away, twirling his nunchucks.

"Yeesh! Some guys can't take a compliment!" Mikey complained as more and more of the Foot surrounded him. "**A lot** of guys can't take a compliment!" Hurrying into an alleyway, he quickly grabbed two trashcan lids.

"Captain America, eat your heart out!" Mikey declared, tossing the lids like Captain America would toss his disk, striking two ninjas hard. Samantha watched as Mikey took out another Foot Ninja using the fire escape ladder before leaping onto the one above it.

"Mikey needs help!" Raph shouted before a blast from two robots made him turn around and block them with his sais. Leo and Samantha leapt away from the blasts.

"Samantha! Go after him!" Leo ordered.

"You got it!" she yelled back. Hurrying after Mikey and the Foot Ninjas, she managed to stay concealed in the shadows and followed Mikey back to April's newly-repaired shop. She jumped down from the roof and covered his mouth with her hand.

"Shh, Mikey! It's me!" Samantha hissed into his ear, removing her hand from his mouth.

"Sammy!" Mikey cried, turning around and hugging her. Then, he quickly pulled her into April's shop and scaring her, causing a tea set to drop to the floor, breaking on impact. Casey was behind her.

"Mikey! Samantha! What're you two doing here?!" April asked, sounding angry as she picked up the bits and put them back on the tray.

"Nothing. Just running from a bunch of Foot Ninjas!" Mikey informed them. "Sammy, my bros and I are involved in this big fight, and...!"

"Big fight?!" Casey repeated in shock. "How come **I **wasn't invited?!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, WHOA!" April shouted, looking livid. "You're telling me, Michelangelo, that you ran into my shop, my newly-repaired-just-after-it-was-blown-to-pieces-by-a-bunch-of-Foot-Ninjas shop to hide from a bunch of Foot Ninjas?!"

"I was only following him to keep him safe," Samantha said in her defense, hands held up in surrender and backing away slowly from April.

"Yeah! I was running, and...!" Mikey began to say, but then he realized what he'd done. "Ah man! I'm such a bonehead! I shouldn't have run in here! Sorry April! I'm gone!"

"Me too," Samantha added.

"Hang on, you two!" Casey called after them. "I'm comin' with you guys!" His hockey mask on his head and his bag filled with weapons, Casey turned back to April. "April. Mind if we borrow yer wheels?"

"Absolutely I mind!" April snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Den I guess Mikey, Samantha and I can just stay here!" Casey suggested. April's facial expression immediately changed and she reached into her pocket for the keys.

"It's on the street," she told them in a forced cheerful voice.

"Thank you," Casey replied, smirking before he pulled his mask over his face.

"I'm gonna go ahead and tell the guys you're coming!" Samantha shouted before holding up her Amulet. She vanished as Mikey and Casey took off in April's new ride.

"Be careful," April whispered from the door of her shop.

* * *

Samantha appeared on the scene just in time to block a laser blast that would've caught Raph off-guard.

"Miss me Hothead?!" she asked playfully as she blocked another blast with her sword.

"Yeah! I...!" Raph began to counter, but then, his eyes turned to the roof. Sam's eyes followed him, and she gasped. The Purple Dragons were standing on the roof top, armed with guns that Samantha had seen S.W.A.T. members armed with. Hun was in their midst, gazing down at them.

"Uh-oh!" Raph yelled.

"Oh damn it!" she groaned, gripping the hilt of her sword tighter.

"Leo! If we don't live through dis, I'm holding you **personally** responsible!" Raph shouted as Leo turned around and saw the Purple Dragons and Hun.

"And I'm taking a shot at you in the afterlife!" Samantha added.

"Dragons! Take 'em down!" Hun ordered. Armed with a rocket launcher himself, Hun's Purple Dragons fired down on them. Dodging the laser gun blasts, Samantha looked up in time to see Hun shoot a rocket at them.

"Heads up!" she shouted, tackling all three turtles to the ground as the rocket struck the pavement behind them. "You guys alright?"

"We're..." Leo began to answer, but he saw Hun launch another rocket attack. "Look out!" He tackled Samantha to the ground, the two of them rolling away from where another rocket landed. Don and Raph managed to leap away in time as well.

"You alright?" Leo asked her as he got off of her and helped her up, holding her arms tightly.

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine," she whispered as he held her chin in his hand and scanned her face for cuts or bruises. "Thank you." He pulled her into his arms and hugged her close, his arms around her waist. Despite the gunfire and the rockets, she hugged him back, feeling safe and protected in his arms. Then, he released her and gripped her hand, hurrying over to where Don and Raph were standing.

"Guys! We're in **way** over our heads! We **have **to get out of here! **Now**!" Don shouted. Just then, a horn blared through the noise of the battle and Samantha and the others saw a green and white van emerge from the smoke and stop right beside them. The backdoor slid open, revealing Mikey.

"Somebody call for a cab?" Mikey asked, smiling. Everyone smiled and whooped as they scrambled into the van. Hun shot off a couple of rockets after them, but Casey managed to dodge them.

"Awesome road warrior moves, Casey!" Mikey cheered.

"Woohoo!" Casey whooped as he shifted the van into a higher gear. "You should see me at rush hour!"

"Now **that** would be scary!" Samantha muttered, earning snickers from Leo, Raph and Don when a vision of Leo on his shell with a sword pointed at his throat flashed before her eyes. She also saw that it was a dark-haired woman that she instantly recognized was the one holding the sword. Suddenly, an arrow knocked it out of her hands and a mysterious ninja leaped into the fight and attacked her. Then, her vision returned to normal, but the signature headache that followed these visions came on strong. Then a voice in her mind told her, _Return home and take up the archer's weapons. You will need them to protect he who is to protect you. Remember the vision._

"Another vision?" Leo asked as he and Don gently held her arms to keep her from falling forward.

"Yeah. And it's not good," Samantha replied. "I need to go home and get something."

"Ya can't be running scared Princess!" Raph shouted.

"I'm not running, Raph!" she shot back, glaring at him. "But there's something there that I need. That **we're** gonna need!"

"Then go," Leo told her.

"Take this ring," she said, slipping a sapphire ring off of her right third finger and pressing it into Leo's hand. "It has a tracker in it. I'll be able to find you using the device in one of my ninja masks back home. I won't be long." Leo nodded and then, she turned to Don and threw herself onto him, kissing him fiercely before she let go of him (he looked dazed and a little confused), held up her Amulet and vanished.

* * *

The bow felt slightly heavier in Samantha's hands as she picked it up from her weapons closet. The quiver of arrows was fully loaded as she slid it over her shoulder, resting it against the scabbard which held her _wakizashi_. Just as she was tying on a black, face mask with the tracking system tracer built into it by her uncle, there was a knock on the door.

"Samantha?" Uncle Kenji called as he opened the door. He saw her standing there, the bow in her hand, the arrows and her sword on her back. "You appear to be preparing for war."

"Uncle Kenji, I had a vision!" Samantha told him. "Leonardo...a woman held a sword to his throat. The same woman who helped cause all of this suffering for us. So please don't try and...!"

"She's here?!" Uncle Kenji demanded in anger and shock.

"According to the vision, yes Uncle," she replied, nodding her head. "She is here."

"I should forbid you to go! She is dangerous, Samantha! I...!"

"So what am I supposed to do? Allow my Protector to be killed?! No way! If I have to take on that ninja she-witch myself, then so be it!"

"You don't know what you're saying!"

"Yes I do! Whether you forbid it or not makes no difference to me! I'm going!" Uncle Kenji stared at her as though she was some sort of alien instead of his only niece.

"You know, your stubbornness is going to get you into big trouble one of these days!" With that, Uncle Kenji stormed out of her room for the second time in less than a month. The sound of the door slamming sliced into Samantha's heart, but it didn't shake her resolve.

"Sorry, Uncle. But I have to protect Leonardo and his family. They are **my** family now. And I will **not** allow the Foot to destroy my family again!"

* * *

The explosion had caught everyone off-guard since they'd been busy watching Leo and Raph argue. But when they landed, they landed as though they'd been expecting something like this to happen. Well, except for Casey, who landed on his butt and then toppled onto his stomach. Just then, two men dressed in violet, Foot ninja uniforms and armed with swords leapt onto the roof. They were followed by a woman with dark, grayish-colored hair, green eyes and a small nose. She was holding the sword in front of her as though she was prepared to fight at a moment's notice.

"I believe we have a few matters to discuss!" the woman said. "My name is Karai! And I am here to restore order to the Foot!"

"I got yer order right here, lady!" Raph snapped, whipping out his sais. Casey stood beside him and was ready to fight as well.

"Stand down, Raph!" Leo ordered.

"No way! I'm sick of being everybody's punching bag! And I'm **really** sick of takings orders from **you**!" Raph snarled.

"I said, stand down, Raph!" Leo growled. Raph looked at him and then leapt forward into battle. But Karai was ready and knocked both Raph and his sais to the ground with a long chain. Then, she flew at him with her sword, but Leo leapt forward and caught the blow with his katana swords. They struggled for a bit before he was able to push her back. She landed gracefully and then sent her two servants into battle. It was a long, hard fight, but it ended abruptly when Karai kicked Leo down on the ground hard and flew across the roof, her foot landing on his plastron, a sword pointed at his neck.

"Now...I came here to discuss a matter with you and discuss it we shall. With or **without** your leader," Karai told them, the sword glittering in the faint light as it stayed close to Leo's throat, her foot on his plastron. "It is your choice."

"When Leo picks a fight, he **really** picks a fight!" Raph growled as the others watched in horror as Leo stared at the sword pointed at his throat.

* * *

"Leo!" Samantha whispered from her place on the rooftop. She was waiting for the mysterious ninja to appear, but no one was hopping across the rooftops and coming into view.

_Then if the mystery ninja's not gonna show, I guess it's up to me, _she thought to herself as she slid an arrow into her bow. _Wait a second! The vision! The voice! **I'm** the mysterious ninja!_

"Well then... I guess I'd better make this shot count," Samantha muttered to herself as she took in a deep breath and then fired the arrow off towards the sword, leaping down for an Ariel Attack that would knock the crap out of the bitch who'd dared to threaten her friends.

* * *

There was deathly silence as Karai stood with the sword still at Leo's throat.

"Drop your weapons!" Karai ordered. Raph stepped forward, twirling his sais before crossing them and preparing to leap back into the fight.

"I **said**, drop your weapons!" Karai repeated, pushing the sword point back towards Leo's throat. Suddenly, an arrow seemed to appear out of nowhere, knocking the sword right out of Karai's hands.

"What in the...?" Karai began to ask, but then, a black-clothed ninja flew in with a battle cry and landed an Ariel Attack move that sent Karai flying backwards away from Leo and crashing into the roof. The ninja landed on their feet before taking out a sword and twirling it in a lethal fashion before holding it in a parallel position. Quickly, Samantha activated the voice alteration device in her mask.

"Whoa! Who's the mystery ninja?" Mikey asked.

"I don't know," Leo said, leaping to his feet and backing away from the impending fight. "But whoever they are, I hope they're on our side."

"They saved **you**, didn't they?" Raph reminded him. "Dey can't be any worse dan Little Miss Foot!"

"But that move!" Don whispered, rubbing his chin. "I've seen it somewhere before! But where?!"

"How **dare** you interfere with this matter, intruder!" Karai growled, leaping back up to her feet.

"I'm surprised you don't recognize me Karai!" Samantha scoffed, narrowing her eyes. Her voice was the same one that she'd used on the Triceraton home world. "But I could never forget **you**!"

"You shall pay for this affront!" Karai snarled. "Attack!" Her two servants leapt forward. They were agile and light, but Samantha was just as quick as they were. Finally, she was able to land hard attacks that winded them.

"Damn! Dis ninja kicks shell!" Raph observed in amazement.

"Call off your goons Karai, before I **permanently** take them out!" Samantha growled, pointing her sword at the ninja. Their narrowed eyes met, and Samantha gripped the hilt of her sword tighter than ever. "**This fight is between** **you and me**."

**Me: T-M-N-T! What ya get is what ya see!**

**Mikey: Hey! I came up with that rhyme!**

**Raph: And it's still da stupidest thing I ever heard!**

**Leo: So what's the plan?**

**Josh Haner: I say we go and kick Purple Dragon butt!**

**Don: Who are you?**

**Josh Haner: The name's Haner. Josh Haner.**

**Me: Smooth. Velvety smooth.**

**Josh Haner: Glad you like it.**

**Leo: Oh brother! Another Bond fanatic!**

**Raph: Don't be such a hater, Leo! Hey! What's up Josh? Name's Raphael. Call me Raph.**

**Josh Haner: Of course. Ya know, I've always respected you Raph. So, what do you say we go on patrol and show those Purple Chickens whose town New York _really _is!**

**Raph: I like da way you think, kid! C'mon. Let's kick some shell! *Josh Haner gets armed with a katana and goes on patrol with Raph. Find the Purple Dragons about to rob a woman. Jump down and Josh Haner takes out fifteen Purple Dragons while Raph takes out twenty.***

**Josh Haner: That was AWESOME!**

**Raph: That was a nice reverse phoenix punch on that one with the scar over his eye.**

**Josh Haner: Please. Your Dragon's Fury attack had 'em screaming and running like a bunch of sissies!**

**Raph: Yea! You ain't bad for a newbie, Josh.**

**Josh Haner: Ya know, Raph? I always thought you were the coolest turtle out there, but now...I _know_ you're the coolest turtle out there! Well, I gotta go. You da turtle, Raph!**

**Raph: Thanks Josh! And come back anytime ya hear? **

**Josh Haner: I will. Bye Livangel16. See ya later, guys. I know I didn't get to chill with you all, but you guys are the most awesome people EVER! Turtles RULE!**

**Me, Mikey, Leo and Don: Bye! *Josh Haner leaves***

**Raph: I need more fans like dat. When's Kimmie98, honkytonk-babe3 or bell-13-tmnt-lover coming back?! I wanna see 'em! They rule! And so does Josh and all the people out there who love me cuz...I'm sexy and I... **

**Me: *slaps duct tape over Raph's mouth and sweeps his feet out from under him before tying him up* I WARNED YOU, HOTHEAD! Now, you're gonna GET it! *carries Raph off***

**Mikey: Uh...what just happened?**

**Leo: I dunno. But damn. Remind me never to get her angry.**

**Don: I second that. *turns to audience* Don't worry. She won't reall hurt him. *mutters* But I think I should check his life insurance policy. Just in case I'm wrong.**

**Next and final chapter of the four is almost ready!**


	54. Chapter 54

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Fifty Four

Deathly silence fell on everyone that was on the rooftop as Samantha and Karai faced off against each other. Grips tightened, eyes narrowed as the opponents circled one another. Samantha's eyes were locked onto Karai's, the two women not giving away anything. Blades glinted in the sunlight as the circling continued. Then, Karai attacked.

Samantha quickly flipped and dodged the attack before countering with one of her own. Karai blocked it and almost caught Samantha off-guard. Swords clanged, punches thrown, kicks blocked and martial arts routines read and analyzed in the blink of an eye before being quickly countered. The battle was fierce. Both women were fighting hard to win supremacy over the other.

"You are a skilled warrior, stranger!" Karai observed as Samantha backflipped away from a Dragon's Fury attack. Then, she drew out her sword and leapt towards her before Samantha blocked it, and the two pushed and pushed, trying to gain some footing. "But I am afraid your journey ends here!"

"Then you **obviously** don't know who the Hell you're talking to, lady!" Samantha snapped before pushing back hard with all her might and leaping into the air, forming a Dragon's Fury attack. But when Karai got into the defense for it, Samantha switched the attack like lightning to a Wrath of the Phoenix, catching her completely off-guard and knocking her hard backwards onto the rooftop. Then, she flew across and put her foot on Karai's chest, her sword blade dangling dangerously close to the ninja's throat.

"I should finish you off here and now for what you did to me!" she growled, fighting back the voice of the _tengu_ in her mind that was telling her to do just that. "But unlike your master, I know the meaning of honor and mercy." With that, she took the sword away from Karai's neck, sheathed it and quickly did a backflip that put her in front of Leonardo and the others.

"Who **are** you?" Karai asked, narrowing her eyes at the mysterious ninja as she leapt to her feet.

"Maybe seeing my face will jog your memory," Samantha told her before pulling off the black mask and revealing her angry, blazing face to the Japanese Foot Clan head.

"Samantha?!" Casey shouted in shock. "You're da mystery ninja?!"

"I **knew** I'd seen those moves somewhere before!" Don added, smiling at his girlfriend.

"Way ta go, Sammy!" Mikey cheered, patting her on the shoulder. "You kicked international ninja butt!"

"And ya saved Fearless," Raph added, nudging Leo lightly. "You were on fire out dere, Princess."

"Princess?" Karai repeated, glaring at the girl. "You are some sort of royalty?!"

"So seeing my pretty face didn't do anything for your memory. Then maybe **this** will help you recognize me!" Samantha declared, drawing out the Amulet and brandishing it before their enemies.

"The Amulet!" Karai exclaimed in shock, gaping at Samantha.

"A Bushido!" gasped one of Karai's servants.

"Now I recognize her!" the other servant informed his mistress. "She is the daughter of Bushido, Mistress Karai. You only have to look at her to see it!"

"What's the matter, Karai?" Samantha asked mockingly. "Surprised that I'm still alive after what your master did to my father's academy? To my father?!"

"Enough! I did not come here to discuss the past!" Karai snapped. "I came here to speak with the Turtlemen. And, it appears, you as well, child of Bushido."

"Then speak your piece and be gone, Karai!" Samantha growled. "New York's already got enough trouble without you coming here and adding fuel to the fire!"

"Samantha!" Leo hissed in reprove. Then, he turned to Karai. "We'll hear you out. And we won't attack you. I give you my word of honor."

"Very well," Karai said. But then, Raph snatched up his sais and leapt into the air towards Karai, ready to attack.

"Raph, no! I gave her my word of honor!" Leo growled, holding Raph at bay with his sword and pushed him back.

"Yer word of honor?! Bro, yer **really** gettin' to be a pain in my shell!" Raph snarled, pointing his sai at Leo.

"C'mon Raph," Casey advised. "Let's hear what the pretty ninja lady has to say." Raph growled and sheathed his sais.

"What a caveman!" Samantha muttered under her breath as she place her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at Karai.

"As I said, my name is Karai, and I control the Foot Clan in Japan," Karai explained, holding a gold pendant in her hand that glowed. Her two servants moved to the side as she clutched the pendant in her hand. "And I am here to restore order to the New York faction of the Foot. When you...Turtlemen and this Bushido child destroyed the Shredder, you threw this city into chaos. We in Japan hoped that the parties involved would destroy each other, like a snake consuming itself. Leaving the city once again under the Foot's control. But we did not expect the city to be consumed in the process. If the Foot is to regain control of New York, I will need your help."

"I might've been more inclined to help you Karai, if you hadn't **just held a sword to my friend's throat**!" Samantha snapped angrily.

"Are we done talkin' yet?! Is it time ta fight?!" Raph asked, twirling his sais once more.

"You are impudent!" Karai yelled, whipping around and facing Raph. "If you were **my** retainer, I would have you beaten!"

"Oh yeah!" Raph growled, lunging forward to strike out at her, but Mikey and Don pulled him back. "Yer Foot alright! Ya even **sound** like da Shredder!"

"Lady, even if we wanted to help you, I don't see how we could!" Don told her. "This war's completely out of control. We're in over our heads already as it is!"

"Yes, I know. But I have a plan to stop this war!" Karai informed them, clenching her fist.

"Then why do you need us?" Leo inquired.

"All plans must have their...contingencies," she told them, smiling slightly. "Make your decision." She turned and walked away from them.

"Well...what do you guys think?" Leo asked.

"I think she can swim her ninja butt back ta Japan," Raph argued.

"Never thought I'd say this, but...I agree with Raph," Samantha seconded. "Leo, we **can't** trust her. Believe me. And not just because she worked for the Shredder."

"And not just because you two appear to have history?" Leo shot back, staring at Samantha. Her jaw dropped in shock, but she closed it and glared at him.

"Is this your way of thanking me for saving your life?!" Samantha demanded, her temper boiling. "Because I could've just let her keep dangling that sword in front of your throat! But I'm not that kind of girl!"

"I know. And I really appreciate it, Samantha. I do. You were incredible, and...I owe you big time," Leo told her, resting his hands on her shoulders. She smiled slightly.

"That's more along the lines of what I wanted to hear," she chuckled, brushing a stray hair back from her face and gazing into his Leo's smiling face. Don's eyes narrowed and he looked away.

"I think she's perfect! Looks, brains, **and** she's a ninja," Casey commented. That comment completely shattered Samantha's little oasis of peace.

"God Casey! You are **such** a bonehead!" Samantha growled, smacking her hand over her eyes.

"What does she mean by "contingencies"?" Mikey inquired.

"She means **we're** Plan B," Leo answered.

"There seems to be something missing from this equation," Don thought aloud before he turned to Karai. "Umm, excuse me? What's in it for us?"

"Three things: 1) You can save New York from being torn apart 2) You can free your streets of the Purple Dragons and the mobs and 3) the Foot and the Foot Elite are honor-bound to slay the one who defeated their master. They will be relentless. They will destroy you, your master and your comrades. However, if you help us, there will be no revenge for the Shredder's destruction." She walked away again.

"Listen. This is the chance we've been looking for," Leo told them as they huddled together. "It may be a deal with the devil, but at least it's a devil we know."

"The Turtles team up with the Foot? It sounds crazy!" Don voiced.

"I dunno, Leo," Mikey said worriedly.

"Well **I do**!" Samantha snapped in a whisper. "And I can tell you that she won't keep her word! Especially when it comes to her master being avenged! You don't know what she's capable of!"

"And you **do**?!" Leo fired back.

"A Hell of a lot more than you for sure!" Samantha argued. Leo looked slightly taken aback, but his face became serious again.

"Samantha! Whatever you and her have going on, just let it go for now," Leo advised. "We can't..."

"Let it go?!" Samantha shouted, her face painted with rage. Leo immediately knew he'd said the wrong thing. Her eyes were dark with rage, and Leo could swear that he saw a flash of _tengu _red in them. Then, she appeared to calm down slightly, but she still looked angry.

"Fine Leo. Team up with her. But when she's holding another sword at your throat, don't expect me to come and save you again!" Samantha growled, turning on her heel and storming away. Leo ran after her and caught her arm, turning her around before he gripped her hands tightly in his.

"Samantha. Please. I know you don't like this. Neither do I. But we have to do this! And we can't do it without you!" Leo told her.

"Well, you're gonna have to!" she snapped, pulling her hands away. "I'm not teaming up with Karai! No way, no how!" She turned away again and was at the roof's ledge when she heard Leo call out, "Samantha!" She whipped around, and the pleading look in those beautiful eyes of his almost weakened her resolve.

"Please!" he whispered pleadingly. Samantha looked down at the ground. God, that voice of his was so beautiful and sweetly haunting that she wanted to just give up and help him. Then, she looked up and caught Karai staring at her. Her anger returned like a wave crashing against the shore. Leo didn't understand what was going on, but she couldn't do this. No matter how much he was pleading with her to.

"Take care of yourself, _bushi_," she replied in a soft voice before she did a front flip off the roof and vanished into the dark alley below.

"SAM!" Leo yelled, running to the edge of the roof. "SAM!" But there was no answer. She was gone. Leo sighed in frustration and went back to his brothers and their friend. "Why does she have to be so stubborn?"

"She's got good reason ta be!" Raph said defensively. "There's no way **I'm** teaming up with Little Miss Foot either!"

"Raph! Listen to me!" Leo snapped. "This thing is way too big for us to fix alone!"

"Listening ta** you** is what got us into dis mess in da first place!" Raph shot back.

"We have to take this opportunity!" Leo argued.

"Is dat de "honorable" thing ta do?!" Raph mocked before walking off to the edge of the roof. "You guys can go ahead and be da Foot's little toes if ya want, but not **me**! I'm outta here! Ya coming, Case?!"

"Ya know, Raph? I was always taught dat no matter what, ya fix yer mistakes!" Casey said firmly, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm staying!"

"Whatever!" Raph growled before doing a front flip off the roof and landing in the dark alley.

"Well?" Karai asked impatiently.

"We accept your offer of alliance," Leo told her, bowing respectfully.

"But no funny stuff!" Mikey added seriously.

"We've never had much reason to trust the Foot before!" Don reminded her.

"The Foot have never had to ask for aid before," Karai informed them, bowing in return. "Now, let us begin. We haven't much time. Listen closely."

* * *

Samantha was pummeling Raph's practice dummy relentlessly, throwing punches and kicks that had it almost completely bent over backwards. She was angry: angry at Karai's appearance, angry at Leonardo for trusting her, angry at herself for not being able to make him see that she would hurt them all if given the opportunity. Then she was worried: would Karai's plan even work? What if Leo got hurt? What if **Donatello** got hurt? Or Mikey? Or even Casey? She'd never be able to forgive herself if something happened to them. But then, her anger returned to her and boiled over.

"What...the...Hell...does...he...see...in...her?!" she snarled, emphasizing every word with a punch or a kick. Finally, her rage boiled over and, with a vicious kick, she sent the dummy's head flying across the Lair.

"Whoa! And people tell me **I** got a temper!" Raph observed. Samantha turned and saw him standing behind her. Her rage boiled down slightly.

"Yeah?! Well, I've got a good reason to be!" Samantha snapped angrily. "Little Miss Foot is gonna bring us nothing but trouble! And she's got Leo under her spell!"

"Like Casey?" Raph asked, holding the practice dummy steady. He could sense that Karai and she had history, but that wasn't the only reason that Sam's fuse was so short.

"Yeah! Exactly like...!" she ranted, but then she realized what he was doing. "You sneaky, little ninja!" He smirked and shrugged but didn't say one word.

"Don't tell me yer jealous o' her?!" Raph said incredulously.

"Please!" she snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why would **I **be jealous of **her**?!"

"'Cause she seems ta have everyone snowed according ta you, including **Leo**," Raph replied. "What I wanna know is why ya hate her so much."

"It's a complicated story," Samantha told him. "Remember when you guys found out that the Ultimate Ninja was my fiancé before my father broke off the arrangement and banished him?"

"How could I forget! Dat nutcase showed up outta nowhere and abducted you ta force Leo ta fight 'im!"

"Remember how I told you he was passing information on to our enemies? One of the people he passed it on to was Karai. When my father heard of it, he immediately sent emissaries and messengers to sue for peace. Our messengers and emissaries begged her not to tell the Shredder of our secrets or our location. She promised that she would not speak of it to her master and that we would be left alone in peace. She lied. Less than six months after that, the Shredder came with the full force of the Foot, attacked our academy and slew my father before my eyes." Samantha's eyes burned with the fires she saw consuming the ninja academy that'd been her father's pride and joy. "Karai is the Shredder's adopted daughter, but she is no different from her master. You'll see. In time, she'll show her true face."

"I had no idea, Samantha," Raph whispered to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"All I want is for Leonardo and the others to be careful. Karai is not who she seems. She is honor-bound to the Shredder in more ways than one. And she will not go against her master's wishes. No matter what she promises."

"You cannot allow the mistakes of the past to control your future, Princess Bushido-san," Master Splinter advised her as he walked over to them. "Even if they were the mistakes of someone else. You must learn to forgive and then move on. Otherwise, you cannot become a true Bushido warrior if you carry hatred in your heart."

"_Hai_, Sensei. I understand," Samantha replied, bowing her head.

"And we must also learn to have faith and trust those we love," Master Splinter continued. "Even if we do not agree with them." He was looking at both Raphael and Samantha when he said this. "Because no matter what, they are still family. And we defend family with every breath in our bodies, do we not?"

"Yes, Sensei," they replied together, bowing.

"At times, we let the past or our own anger and frustration blind us to what needs to be done. But a true warrior sees past himself and focuses on those who need him most. Do you understand Raphael? Samantha?"

"Yeah, Sensei," Raph answered.

"We understand completely," Samantha added.

"Good. Now, we must go and assist your brothers. I have a feeling they will need it," Master Splinter told them, hurrying towards the entrance of the Lair.

"Tell me we're not about ta do dis!" Raph observed somewhat angrily.

"Don, Leo, Mikey and Casey are all up there," she reminded him, her heart burning with worry in place of anger. "We've got to go and help them. Besides, who else is gonna protect Leo from that snake-charming, sword-wielding, ninja-assassin girl?"

"Yeah. But who's gonna keep **you** from turning pea-green with envy every time she looks at 'im?" Raph chuckled. Samantha's cheeks flushed red before she playfully elbowed Raph in the plastron. He chuckled and ruffled her hair lightly, like she was his kid sister. She smiled and hugged him lightly.

"No matter what happens Samantha, I'll **always** have yer back," Raph promised before hurrying to catch up with Master Splinter. Samantha started to follow him when she stopped. Was she **really** off to go and help **Karai** of all people?!

"Well...you coming or what, Princess?" Raph asked, twirling his sais. "We got some butt-kicking ta do!" Samantha smiled. Screw who it was! Just being able to kick butt with her family and her boyfriend was reason enough to be doing backflips.

"Then let's not wait any longer!" Samantha declared, running to catch up with him, drawing out her sword. She was back and ready to defend her family, to the death if need be!

* * *

Raph, Samantha and Master Splinter landed lightly outside the Foot's ruined skyscraper and could hear voices coming from inside. Leaping onto the beams above, Samantha saw Leo, Mikey, Don and Karai surrounded by the Foot Ninjas, the Purple Dragons and the mobsters. Casey was trapped in a white net, struggling to get free.

"Looks like Karai's little plan to stop this war backfired!" Samantha observed.

"Den it's a good thing we're here," Raph replied.

"You may serve the Shredder, Karai, but you're nothing like him," Leo told her.

"How so?" Karai asked.

"You understand honor," Leo replied. Karai smiled slightly.

"Oh brother!" Samantha groaned quietly, pretending to gag. Raph snorted a laugh and then motioned for her to be quiet.

"Hun! Eliminate them all, and we will not forget your help when the Elite controls New York City!" the Elite with the _narigata _commanded.

"That's the first thing I've heard since this stupid war began that makes sense!" Hun chuckled darkly, pointing the rocket launcher at Leo and the others. Samantha took out a_ shuriken_ and quickly threw it before Hun could pull the trigger. It sank right into the launcher and caused it to malfunction. Hun threw it away as it sparked and everyone jumped aside before it exploded, sending up a great cloud of dust.

"Wait fer my signal, Sensei, and en do what you do best: kick shell!" Raph told Master Splinter, who nodded and scurried off into position. "Let's do it!" Raph told Samantha, who nodded her head. Together, they both leapt down into the dust and took out three Foot ninjas. Samantha remained in the shadows while Raph emerged from the dust, twirling his sais.

"Hey guys! Miss me?" Raph asked, smiling.

"Raph!" his brothers shouted happily.

"Alright!" Mikey cheered.

"Heads up!" he shouted as the Elite Guard came flying in for an attack.

"I thought you were sitting this one out!" Leo reminded him as they flew forward and fought hard against the Elite and the Foot.

"Well I calmed down, thought about it, and realized I was..." He kicked the Elite Guard with the spear away, "being an idiot."

"You figured that out all by yourself?" Mikey asked as he kicked away another Elite Guard member.

"Well, I kinda had... a little help," Raph said, kicking two Foot ninjas and then giving the thumbs-up sign. Master Splinter then flew in and kicked down two Elite Guard members.

"My sons!" Master Splinter shouted. "I was worried we would be too late!" He kicked away a Foot Ninja.

"Nah!" Don told him, batting away two Foot Ninjas before landing and twirling his bo staff. "We had everything under control. Kinda."

"Turtles! Let us finish this!" Karai yelled, battling the Elite Guard with the _narigata._ Raph gave a battle cry and leapt into the air and with a coordinated effort from Mikey and Don, the Elite member crashed headfirst into a wall column. Sword in hand, Karai approached the Elite member they'd defeated, the Turtles behind her.

"Do you not know this seal?" Karai asked, displaying the pendant with the Foot symbol on it to the Elite Member she'd defeated. From her place hidden in the shadows, it was now clear to Samantha that he was the leader of the four of them.

"Yes. It is the Shredder's seal," the Elite grunted, struggling to his feet. "The seal of the Foot."

"Then you are honor-bound to obey me for I represent the Shredder!" Karai commanded, brandishing the pendant.

"We will **not**!" the Elite snarled. Karai then stowed away the pendant and raised the sword above her head and brought it down. Samantha closed her eyes before slowly opening them to see that Karai had simply sliced the wooden hat that the Elite was wearing in half. The other Elite members gasped. Just then, Samantha saw Hun rip off a smashed column and clubbed Karai hard with it like it was a baseball bat. She hit one of the remaining columns and struggled to her feet. But she never got there because Hun smashed her with the same column again. She hit the ground hard and was struggling to get up.

"I will **never** serve **you**!" Hun roared, raising the column above his head to smash Karai.

"We have to help her!" Leo shouted, dashing forward. Raph held him back.

"Wait a second, bro," Raph told him, smiling. "How about we let someone **else **kick Hun's butt?"

"Like who?" Leo asked. Just then, Samantha backflipped over the rafters and yelled "Hi-yah!" before slamming Hun hard in the back with a strong kick that sent the column crashing to the ground and Hun flying across the room.

"Hope I'm not too late, guys," Samantha told them, smiling and dusting off her hands.

"Samantha!" Don yelled with joy when he saw her.

"The one and only, sweet thing!" she shouted back as she leapt into the air and kicked Hun hard in the face. "I was starting to wonder when I'd finally get the opportunity to..." She kicked down a Foot Ninja before catching a sword blade between her hands and sweeping the ninja's feet out from under him, "jump into this."

"Why you little...!" Hun snarled, but Leo and Raph got to him first, dodged his attacks and kicked him backwards together towards a gaping hole with nothing but the street below it. Hun was teetering badly, and one blow would bring him down for good.

"Shall we, Princess Bushido-san?" Karai asked, smirking a bit. Sam matched the ninja grin-for-grin.

"Oh we **shall**, Karai!" Samantha replied before both girls went flying through the air and landed the two kicks that sent Hun flying out of the hole and plummeting onto the streets below, smashing the roof of a police cruiser completely.

"Swear fealty to me! **Swear it!**" Karai demanded, holding the sword under the Elite's neck.

"Wow! Talk about being pushy!" Samantha commented, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I...I swear it, Mistress. _Taiyten_!" the Elite member shouted as he, the three remaining Elites and the Foot Ninjas all bowed to Karai.

"What's happening? What'd I miss?!" Casey demanded, finally freeing himself of the net.

"Thank you," Karai said to Leonardo gratefully. "I am...in your debt. I will keep my promise. The vendetta is lifted. The Foot will not take revenge for the slaying of their master."

"You are honorable, Karai," Leo replied, smiling. "I know you will keep your word."

"You stood with me to the last," Karai continued. "All of you have great strength and courage. Including you, Princess Bushido-san," Karai said, bowing to the young princess. Samantha was shocked, but with a nudge from Master Splinter, she bowed back. "I hope in the future when our paths cross again, we will not be enemies."

"Only fate will tell," Leo answered.

"Regrettably, fate is not the only master we must serve," Karai told them in a cryptic voice that made Samantha's blood run cold. Then, with a final bow from her and her servants, she and they leapt through the hole in the wall and disappeared.

"Master Splinter, I'm sorry," Leo apologized. "I...I just had to do something, and I..."

"It is alright, my son," Master Splinter cut in firmly, smiling and placing a fatherly hand on his shoulder. "Sometimes you must follow your heart, even when others tell you not to."

"Thank you, Master," Leo told him, bowing. Then, he turned to Samantha, whose was in Don's arms, his arms wrapped around her waist from behind.

"You came back," Leo told her.

"Hey. Someone had to watch your back," she told him, smiling. "If your brothers were too busy fighting for their lives, anyways." Leo smiled back, his eyes locked onto hers. Don pulled her closer, and she elbowed him lightly for being so possessive, chuckling when he grabbed her and lifted her off the ground, spinning her around slightly.

"So...does this jumping into the fight mean that you're willing to trust Karai?" Leo asked her when Don placed her back on the ground.

"Hmmm...not yet. Let's just see what the future holds first before I say something as dangerous as that," Samantha answered, her eyes becoming hard for a moment. "Trust can be a double-edged sword, Leonardo. You need to be careful that neither of the blades comes back and strikes you."

"Samantha, I..." Leo began to say, but she held up her hand.

"Don't worry about that now," she told him, smiling. "For now, worry about Makayla not having a stroke when she sees that you've come to visit her in the hospital." Leo's jaw dropped and Sam's smile widened. "I called her before we came here. She's expecting you and all of us at Mercy General any time now. Room 7384."

* * *

"Hey! You guys came!" Makayla exclaimed in a thin voice. The doctors had said that she was still weak from the operation, but that in a few days, she could leave the hospital and continue her recovery at home. Samantha had gone ahead up to the room and opened the window so that the guys could sneak in.

"How's it going, Mac?!" Mikey asked, hugging her.

"Not too bad, Mikester," she replied, her smile widening at the cheery tone of his voice.

"Never knew ya were a trooper, Mac," Raph joked, giving her a light hit to the shoulder. "But I'm glad o' dat. Believe me."

"Thanks, Raph," she said, smirking.

"They treating you alright in here? Not giving you too much morphine? Regular checking of vitals? Dressing and redressing the wound?"

"Yes Doctor!" she snickered, earning a chuckle from Samantha as she hugged her blushing boyfriend. Then Leo entered the room through the window holding a bouquet of red roses in his hand.

"Hey there," he greeted shyly.

"Hey there yourself," she replied, smiling weakly.

"Umm...these are for you," he told her, handing the flowers to her. "I hope you like them." She took them and sniffed them, smiling at their fresh, calm scent. It was a welcome change from the smell of rubbing alcohol and medication that were a part of the hospital.

"They're beautiful, Leonardo," she said gratefully, smiling. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome."

"So...what have you guys been up to for these past few nights? Not getting into trouble I hope?"

"Nah! We just actually came from a huge...!" Casey began to say, but Samantha and Raph immediately covered his mouth with both of their hands.

"A huge what?" Makayla questioned.

"Nothing," Don answered.

"Tell me what happened!" Makayla insisted, grabbing Leo's hand and looking up at him with that irresistible, puppy-dog look on her face. Sighing, Leo quickly explained what had happened over the past few nights (leaving out Karai for some reason).

"The doctor's coming!" April warned, poking her head back inside the room.

"I'll go first," Raph told them, opening back up the window. "Just in case da Foot are waiting ta ambush us or something."

"Raph, we don't have to worry," Leo reassured him. "Karai said they wouldn't be coming after us for revenge."

"Yeah. 'Cause everything Karai says is gospel!" Samantha muttered as the Turtles and Master Splinter quickly exited the room, climbing back out onto the ledge before leaping down from ledge to ledge until they reached the alley in the back.

"Samantha!" Leo groaned, staring hard at her.

"Sorry! Old habits die hard!" she admitted, shrugging her shoulders.

"Who's Karai?" Makayla questioned, looking directly at Leo when she asked.

"She's just an ally, Mac," Leo told her firmly. "Nothing more."

"Yeah. Right," Samantha hissed under her breath. But Leo still heard her.

"You are **such** a difficult, stubborn girl!" Leo muttered.

"One of the many reasons why you and your brothers love me," Samantha countered, smiling brightly.

"Yeah. Right. How could I forget?" Leo shot back, smirking before giving Sam a playful hit to the shoulder. Then, he stopped by Makayla's bedside and pressed a long, sweet kiss on her lips, causing Makayla's heart rate to speed up on the EKG monitor.

"I'll be back to visit you soon, _tenshi_," he whispered to her as they broke apart. "And don't worry about me. Your job is to heal and rest, alright?"

"OK. I will. Take care of yourself, Leonardo," Makayla replied softly.

"Always do," he replied, winking at her before vanishing through the window. April and Casey had gone to speak with the doctor (to distract him) while the guys waited for Samantha.

"So...is this** Karai** someone I should be worried about, Sam?" Makayla inquired. Samantha was shocked by the bluntness of Makayla's statement, but then again, she would've asked Makayla the same thing if the tables were reversed.

"If we're talking about you, then no," she told her. "If we're talking about Leonardo, in some respects...yes. But on the whole, I wouldn't worry too much about it." _Yet_, she silently added in her head.

"Good! And it'd better stay that way! Or so help me God, when I get out of this hospital, I'm gonna...!" Makayla threatened, her eyes blazing and her teeth gritted. The EKG beside her beeped more rapidly as her heart rate increased.

"I wouldn't if I were you, Mac," Samantha advised. "She's not someone you could easily take on and win against. Even I had a tough time fighting her today. Karai's dangerous, Mac. And I don't want you getting hurt. And neither does Leo. Lord only knows how crazy he'd go on that ninja she-witch if she dared to lay one finger on you!"

"I know, I know! But...!" Just then, a low whistle came up and echoed through the room. It was a signal from Mikey that the guys had to go.

"I gotta go, Mac," she told her best friend. She quickly hugged her goodbye and then poked her head out of the room. Flashing a thumbs-up to April, she ducked back inside and had one foot out the window when Makayla called to her.

"Samantha! Make sure to keep Leonardo safe from her whatever it takes!"

"Don't worry about that, Mac. I'll make sure that she doesn't get the chance to sink her claws into him." With that, she climbed out of the window, and then spoke her next words out of the presence of her best friend.

"For both our sakes."

**Me: *walks in with WolfAssassin369* Yooohooo! Anybody home?**

**Mikey: Hey Liv! *hugs me, then sees WolfAssassin369* Hey! You're back!**

**WolfAssassin369: Yep. Back and ready for round 2.**

**Don: What's all the shouting about? *sees WolfAssassin369* Oh hey! Welcone back! Here to face Raph again?**

**WolfAssassin369: Yep. So, where is old Hothead?**

**Leo: I'll call him. Raphael! Get your lazy shell out here! You have a visiting fan! Again!**

**Raph: *takes duct tape off of his mouth* Sorry to keep ya waiting. But dis crazy author here tied me up and... *sees WolfAssassin369* YOU AGAIN?! *takes out his sais* Dis time I'm kick yer sorry keister from here to Uranus!**

**Me: Oh calm down, Hothead and let WolfAssassin369 get herself ready.**

**Raph: _Her?!_ I got my shell handed ta me by a _girl?!_**

**WolfAssassin369: This isn't the fifties, Raph! Don't be so sexist!**

**Don: She's got ya there!**

**Raph: Shut it, Einstein! Nobody asked you!**

**Leo: Lay off of Donny, Raph!**

**WolfAssassin369: Umm...guys? I don't have much time before I have to go and study, so can we get this over with?**

**Raph: With pleasure. Dis time yer little fancy, Jackie Chan moves ain't gonna floor me, girlie!**

**Me: Oh boy!**

**Mikey: He just made a BIG mistake.**

**WolfAssassin369: *takes out kusarigama* NOBODY calls me GIRLIE!**

***Raph charges and WolfAssassin369 dodges it and then counters it. Raph blocks it and they spar for at least twenty minutes***

**Raph: Give up yet?**

**WolfAssassin369: Not a chance, Hothead! *They continue sparring for another half an hour. Me, Mikey, Leo and Don sit down. Leo takes out a pack of cards and all four of us play three rounds of Crazy 8s and two rounds of Go Fish***

**Raph: How...about...now?**

**WolfAssassin369: Not...a...chance!**

**Leo: You know...you could just call it a draw and come play War with us.**

**Me: Yeah. I need more people to smoke anyways.**

**Don: Geez Liv. And you call Raph and Leo cocky. **

**Mikey: Well...if you looked up "cocky" in the dictionary, you'd see pictures of Leo and Raph.**

**Me: Nice one, Mikester!**

**Raph: Alright. Alright. Draw, WolfAssassin369?**

**WolfAssassin369: OK. It's a draw. *they shake hands and come and join the rest of us for a card game. WolfAssassin369 wins it* I gotta get going guys. See you all later. **

**Everyone: BYE! *WolfAssassin369 leaves***

**Raph: Well...maybe she ain't so bad after all. But I can still beat her in a fight.**

***WolfAssassin369 from her house*: I heard that, Raph!**

**Raph: Don't matter! It's da truth!**

**WolfAssassin369: Watch when I come back for round 3!**

**Raph: Bring it on!**

**Me: Oh brother!**

**Leo: Imagine having to live with that for eighteen years of your life.**

**Me: How _do_ you do it?**

**Don: We have no idea.**

**Mikey: At all.**

**Me: Wow. I'll never complain about my annoying brother again. *turns to audience* Well, except for when he really gets on my nerves. Which is...every day. So...yeah. Not much change there actually.**

**WHEW! Now THAT was a LOT of work! So, that's the end of that little splurge! So, I think the importance of reviews has been established, but just in case, reviews are REALLY important to me, guys! I'm asking those of you who follow me who haven't reviewed yet to PLEASE do so! This is to ensure that my readers are enjoying this story! So, Karai's now entered the story and Samantha does NOT like her (but join the club. I don't either)! Though her presence will cause some major drama, especially since I'm planning for her and Makayla to one day meet face-to-face! DUN DUN DUN! Sorry. But anyways, I'm off to update my other stories and such, so REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! And good luck on all your exams, midterms, assignments and tests, guys. I know that's why the reviews are kinda coming in slow. Also, a Christmas surprise is coming up as well! Stay tuned for more! Cheers! :)**

**-Livangel16**


	55. Chapter 55

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Hello everyone! So, I know it's Christmas Eve and everything, but I just felt like updating this story. But first, thank you SO MUCH to all of my reviewers: grapejuice101, Aster Sapphire, pokemonjkl, Kimmie98, IAmTheDragonEmpress, flamedragon242, Pink Lightspeed Ranger, lovefairytail007, missymousemonster, mchap114, ninja-warrior101, WolfAssassin369, bell-13-tmnt-lover, IceColdFever, NeverMindSoGo, TMNTfan95, I Love Kittens Too, hawtphoneix, Josh Haner, and Queen of dares. You guys are amazing, and I hope to see more reviews from you in the future! So, this next chapter is based on the episode from season 2 called "Junklantis". Hope you enjoy it! On with the story! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Fifty Five

Samantha came hurrying into the Lair and leapt down the small ramp and did a backflip that landed her beside Leo and Master Splinter.

"Sorry I'm late, guys," Samantha panted. "Uncle Kenji and I were talking, and..."

"Don't worry about it, Princess!" Raph cut in, brushing the air with one hand and smirking. "We all know dat Donny wouldn't start dis ceremony without his girlfriend in attendance!"

"Very funny, Hothead," Samantha shot back, rolling her eyes.

"Your attention please!" Don declared, holding an old milk carton attached to a string. "Let the ceremony begin!" Mikey yanked off the tarp and revealed a shiny, giant submarine hanging suspended over the waters of the pool near the bridge.

"I hereby christen thee...The Shell Sub!" Don shouted, tossing the milk carton hard and let it explode onto the hood of the giant, shiny submarine that looked sort of like a giant, undersea turtle.

"Excellent work, my son!" Master Splinter congratulated. "It almost makes one think about the large, undersea turtle of Japanese mythology!"

"You've always been one for pomp and circumstance, Donatello!" Samantha chuckled, smiling at her boyfriend. "But I think that this occasion **definitely** calls for it!"

"Thanks, Sam," Don said, smiling proudly as he headed over to the controls. "Now that the underwater access way is completely finished, it's time to launch the Shell Sub on her maiden voyage!"

"Can I launch her?! Can I?! Can I?!" Mikey shouted, leaping down and jumping in front of Donatello, practically pushing him aside and beginning to play with the controls.

"Oh boy! Why do I have a feeling this isn't gonna end well?!" Samantha whispered to Leo.

"Because when Mikey touches anything, it usually doesn't," Leo replied, smiling slightly.

"Careful, Mikey! If you even put one scratch on it...!" Don warned. Mikey was busy playing with the controls and didn't notice the Shell Sub coming down so quickly until it landed hard in the water with a splash, sending a huge wave of water crashing down onto everyone, including Samantha.

"Thanks a lot, Mikey," Raph grumbled.

"Just what I needed: another bath!" Master Splinter muttered before shaking his fur out, sending water flying even further. Leo and Raph stepped back before Master Splinter stopped and wrung out one of the sleeves of his robe.

"Guess my flatiron's gonna have another night of hard work," Samantha observed, wringing out her sopping locks, thanking the stars that she'd neglected to curl it for the ceremony. Otherwise, she'd have leapt on Mikey and strangled him for ruining her hair. Her outfit (a simple black, track suit with a red cami underneath) would survive, although it would probably smell like river water later on.

"Dibs on the first ride!" Mikey yelled, leaping from the floor across the water and onto the Shell Sub. "First mate Michelangelo ready to launch, sir! Aooga! Aooga! Dive! Dive! Torpedoes away!" He saluted and then leapt inside the Shell Sub, feet first.

"Mikey's my first mate? Wish me luck!" Don groaned, clutching his head.

"Good luck," Samantha said, smiling. It was then that Don scooped her up bridal-style into his arms. She gave a yelp of surprise as she wrapped her arms around his neck to keep from falling. Especially since they were at the edge of the pool. "What're you doing?!"

"I can't go on a maiden voyage without my favorite maiden!" Don replied, smiling down at her.

"Oh you are in fine form today, Einstein!" she chuckled, giving him a light, playful hit to the plastron. "First, you build an amazing submarine! Then, you call me your favorite maiden!"

"Truth is stranger than fiction," Don laughed. "Or...in this case, truth is **better** than fiction."

"Master Splinter! **Where** did you get this charming, intelligent son of yours?!" Samantha asked jokingly. Master Splinter smirked.

"I am not quite sure, Princess Bushido-san," he answered, the smirk still on his face. Then, he looked down at his hand, as if he was inspecting his nails. "Although I **do** believe he gets his charm with the ladies and his good looks from his old father." Samantha giggled as Donatello leapt across the way and landed on the Shell Sub as well.

"Be careful!" Leo yelled to them.

"Always are!" Samantha shouted back. Then, she blew the two turtles and their master a kiss goodbye before jumping into the submarine, Donatello right behind her after he closed the hatch.

"Rule Britannia! Britannia rules the waves!" Mikey sang. "I don't the rest of this stinky song! All I know is Britann...!" Don quickly slapped his hand away from some of the buttons. Samantha sat down on the chair at the top of the bridge behind Don and Mikey.

"Initiating launch sequence!" Don declared, pressing a few buttons as the Shell Sub powered up. "Release umbilical!"

"Umbilical released!" Mikey replied, pushing a lever forward that released the Shell Sub from the umbilical.

"Take her down, Captain Hamato!" Samantha commanded, sitting back on the chair as though it were a throne. Don and Mikey quickly looked back at her, looking slightly amused. "What?!" she asked, shrugging. "It was the perfect time to say that line!"

"Aye aye, Lieutenant Bushido!" Don chuckled before powering up the submarine and launching it into the waters. "Dive! Dive! Dive!" Headlights on at full power, the Shell Sub cruised through the underwater access way and finally was in the underwater world of New York City.

"Wow!" Samantha breathed. She'd never been underwater before, but the calm, mysterious depths of it were startling to her. It was like a whole other world down here.

"This is very, very, very cool!" Mikey sighed in amazement, resting his chin in his hand.

"Let's take her deeper," Don suggested before the Shell Sub dove deeper into the waters of New York City. Just then, Samantha spotted something up ahead: an old ship.

"Look at that!" she shouted.

"It's an old whaler," Don concluded.

"The _S.S. Putney_," Mikey read as Don drove the Shell Sub nearer for a closer look at the old ship.

"The _S.S. Putney_ was a ship from the turn of the century," Don informed them excitedly. He sounded like a child in a museum that'd found his favorite exhibit. "When New York was the greatest sea port in the world!" Just then, the radar began beeping, and Samantha looked and saw a solitary dot blinking on it.

"Something's coming up on the radar," she observed.

"Uh, guys?! What's that?!" Mikey asked, pointing to the river floor. Samantha gazed out and saw something moving along the river floor.

"It's a...car," Don replied. Samantha squinted and saw that Don was right. It **was** a car; one with a trailer attached to it.

"What's a car doing at the bottom of the river?" Mikey inquired.

"About 20 miles an hour," Don responded.

"Now **that** was corny," Samantha groaned, rolling her eyes. The three of them watched as mechanical claws extended from the car and began grabbing parts from the old whaler, putting them in the trailer.

"Actually, it looks as though it's salvaging parts," Don told them.

"I think we should turn this expedition into an investigation," Samantha suggested.

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Samantha," Don replied, smiling. "Let's check it out." Staying out of sight, the Shell Sub and its occupants followed the car along the river floor and then...that's when things got really weird. There was an entire line of cars driving along the river floor, their trailers filled with salvaged parts.

"OK. This just went from weird to completely bizarre in less than sixty seconds!" Samantha exclaimed, staring down at the long, winding line of cars.

"Figures that New York's got a traffic problem even at the bottom of the river," Mikey commented, pointing down at the long line.

"But where are they all...?!" Don began to question, but then he stopped. "Whoa!" Samantha stood from her seat and slowly walked forward. There, just over the horizon of the small cliff was a large, hulking mass with glowing lights. It was round and circular in shape and was where the long line of cars was headed. It kind of looked like a huge, sunken spaceship.

"You...you don't suppose that could be...**Atlantis**, do ya Donny?" Mikey inquired, pointing at the mysterious city on the horizon.

"Atlantis is a myth," Don reminded Mikey, rubbing his chin in thought for a moment. "And even if it isn't, I don't think it's a suburb of New York."

"Or made up of...junk," Samantha added, studying the structure closely.

"Sammy's right," Mikey said, observing the garbage and junk that were all over the structure. "That's not **At**lantis. It's **Junklantis**."

"Nice name, Mikey!" Samantha chuckled slightly, sitting back down in her seat and crossing her legs. "Ya wanna christen this place with milk, too?"

"Hardy-harr-harr, Sammy!" Mikey scoffed, crossing his arms over his plastron.

"Let's just back off a bit," Don suggested, gripping the steering column even tighter. "This is getting really creepy."

"I second that motion," Samantha agreed.

"Umm...I think it just got creepier!" Mikey shouted, pointing at a pair of mechanical claws that seemed to emerge from nowhere and grab onto the Shell Sub. Then, a huge, mechanical creature that looked like some sort of giant octopus or squid appeared, more of its tentacles flailing in the water as it drew the Shell Sub closer towards its mouth filled with metallic, sharp teeth.

"What **is** that thing?!" Mikey screamed.

"I don't know!" Don yelled back. "But it's got us!" Then, the monster pushed them into its mouth, leaving them in almost complete darkness as its mouth shut. Don piloted the submarine forward along the dark passageway.

"OK! This is turning into the creepiest experience of my life!" Mikey yelped, hugging himself tightly.

"Just keep it together, Mikey," Samantha advised. "We can't afford to freak out and panic. In fact, we might just be getting closer to solving this mystery."

"Wow. I dunno who you just sounded more like: Leo or Fred Jones from _Scooby Doo_, Samantha," Don joked. Samantha rolled her eyes as the Shell Sub began to rise to the surface. Finally, it broke the surface of the water and cruised towards a landing.

"This is the strangest stomach I've ever seen," Samantha observed. Just then, a door seemed to be open and shadowy figures stood in the midst of a bright light. "And those are **definitely** the strangest enzymes I've ever seen!"

"What do we do now?!" Mikey demanded in panic.

"C'mon. Let's go," Don told them, getting up from his seat and exiting the sub. Samantha followed after him with Mikey bringing up the rear. A bright light was shined in their faces, almost blinding them.

"Umm...we come in peace?" Don told them, sounding a bit unsure of what he was saying. Just then, men with gas masks and shock staffs appeared, at least half a dozen of them, and surrounded them.

"Forget coming in peace!" Mikey whispered to Don. "I **really** wish we'd brought our weapons!" Then, he turned back to the men in the gas masks. "So...kinda wet out today."

"Mikey, allow me to talk to them," Samantha told him, holding her Amulet aloft in the air. Then, she was changed into her battle suit, armed with her _wakizashi._ "Ninja style!" She leapt off of the sub and into their ranks, dealing sword blows left and right. Dodging attacks from shock staffs, Samantha looked to be on her game until one of the men shot out ropes from his staff that wrapped around her wrist before emitting an electric shock. She screamed and then fell to the ground, weakened.

"Sam!" Don shouted, but the men quickly grabbed them and pointed their shock staffs at them, hindering them from helping their friend. She was hauled to her feet, struggling weakly as another one of them bound her hands behind her back while a third picked up her sword.

"I feel like Jonah trapped on this whale-thingy," Mikey complained to Don. "Where do you think they're taking us?"

"I have a feeling we're about to find out," Don replied as the whale creature began to rise to the surface. Then, the mouth opened and the three friends were marched out and onto a dock, guards behind them, armed with shock staffs. Two of them held a struggling Samantha between them.

"Time to kick our way out of this freak show?" Mikey inquired to Don.

"Not yet," Don answered, stopping for a moment. "We don't even know where we are." Just then, a guard shoved him forward roughly. "Hey!"

Samantha watched as cranes and other heavy machinery lifted scrap metal and other debris up and away to another pile while men in yellow overalls and gas masks oversaw the work.

"Ship anchors, crosspieces, old Doppler and radar systems," Samantha observed. Then, she gasped when she recognized a piece of metal engraved with _S.S. Voyager._ The _S.S. Voyager _was a ship that usually carried parts for her uncle's research facilities from Taiwan. It had sunk in the harbor just yesterday in a dense fog in a series of mysterious barges disappearing in New York Harbor. "The _S.S. Voyager_?! Then, that means...!" A rough shove from a guard kept her from continuing.

"This is amazing!" Don breathed as he watched the industriousness of the work all around him. Just then, they reached the summit of the hill before them. Mikey, who wasn't paying attention, ran into one guard's back before stumbling backwards into another's chest. Then, he sniffed the air.

"OK? Which one of you is wearing _Eau de Fish_?" Mikey asked, pinching his nostrils. "It's kinda nasty."

"Mikey, look!" Don hissed, pointing towards the control center. A shadowy figure emerged from the darkness in what looked like a metallic, crab-like suit with claws on the sides. Inside it, Samantha saw the fattest, ugliest man she'd ever seen in her life. Whatever blond hair he had left on his head was hidden by a naval captain's hat. He wore a dirty, stained shirt and a glob of spit was in the corner of his mouth. His eyes were small and beady, and his head looked like a round ball.

"You!" he growled, pointing a finger at them.

"The Garbageman?!" Don shouted in shock.

"Garbageman? What kinda name is that?!" Samantha asked, looking at Don as though he was crazy. "And how do you know this guy anyway?"

"It's a long story, Sammy," Mikey replied. "But to save time, he's evil, we kicked his butt, and he went into the river." It was then that Mikey's eyes widened. "**This** river."

"Yes!" the Garbageman chuckled. "This river. **My** river."

"I don't see your name stamped on it, GarbageBoy!" Samantha snapped, earning a jab in the back with a shock staff from one of her captors.

"What is all this?!" Don demanded.

"Silence!" the Garbageman ordered. Just then two guards walked forward and shocked both Don and Mikey, sending both of them tumbling to the ground.

"Don! Mikey!" Samantha shouted, running towards them, but she was grabbed and held fast by the guards as she struggled to get free and reach her friends.

"First rule my friends: I talk. You listen," the Garbageman hissed at them as his mechanical claws picked them up by the shells and held them dangling in the air in front of him. "You know, I should thank you for setting me on this path. Dumping me in the river opened my eyes to a whole new world of hidden treasure just waiting to be salvaged! So thank you."

"You're not welcome!" Don shouted, gritting his teeth.

"I'm actually glad you're here," the Garbageman chuckled. Then, his eye fell on Samantha. "Especially considering the lovely company you brought along with you. Bring her closer, boys." Samantha was dragged before this man, kicking and struggling, until she was face-to-face with this hideous creature. "Never have I seen such fire, such defiance, such...beauty."

"And never have I smelt something so rancid as your B.O.!" Samantha fired back, leaning away from his face. "I mean, seriously! Haven't you even heard of soap? Or the concept of bathing?!" Snickers escaped from the mouths of Don, Mikey and the guards present in the room. The Garbageman's face grew livid with rage.

"SILENCE HER!" he roared. One of the guards immediately stepped forward with a shock staff and slammed it into her back, sending a large volt of electric shock that had Samantha screaming with pain before falling to the ground.

"Samantha!" Don shouted as he struggled to get free. The guards hauled her to her feet. She was barely conscious this time.

"You will learn to be more...submissive, my girl," the Garbageman told the half-conscious girl, smiling cruelly. Then, he turned back to the Turtles. "As for you two freaks, I've often wondered what you are. Now I'll have the chance to find out."

"Sir! Our man on the dock says that the target is weighing anchor," one of the guards reported.

"Perfect!" the Garbageman declared, dropping Mikey and Don hard to the ground. "Everything is on schedule. Assemble the men! I wish to speak with them." The guard who'd spoken nodded, bowed and then set off to accomplish his task. "Lock these two in the brig and hold them there! I'll want to dissect them later!" He laughed evilly and then stopped when he looked and saw Samantha struggling once more against the guards. "But bring the girl with us. I want the men to see the newest addition to our crew...my new queen."

"Get stuffed, Garbage-Brain!" she snapped before she whipped around and tried to kick one of the guards. "Let go of me, you Hazmat freaks!" Samantha shouted as the guard slung her over his shoulder before she could even graze him. "Let me go! Let me go!"

"Samantha!" Don shouted, but he was hauled up roughly with Mikey and herded in the opposite direction from the young, ninja princess. Walking along beside a long line of cells, Don and Mikey were herded into one by a squadron of half a dozen guards.

"You know, Mikey? I think it might be time for what we talked about earlier," Don told him. Mikey nodded and then grabbed the wrist of the guard behind him, flipping him hard into the cell. Don kicked another guard before using the cell door to knock another one out. Mikey dodged an attack by two of the troops and ducked as they shocked each other. Don and Mikey quickly took two of the uniforms and put them on.

"Aren't you a little short for a junk trooper?" Mikey teased as Don put on the gas mask.

"Very funny," he scoffed. "C'mon. Let's grab Samantha and find our way out of this madhouse." Walking back the way they'd come, they walked right into the middle of a huge room. At the very center was the Garbageman speaking to a large crowd of his junk troopers.

"You, my followers, know that I believe garbage is power!" the Garbageman declared, clenching his fist. "And our salvaging the various wrecks and refuses at the bottom of the sea has proven my words! We have grown in power and strength! We no longer have to pickings the leavings from the bottom! We now make our own wrecks to salvage!"

"I knew it!" shouted a voice that made Don's heart beat faster in his chest. All eyes turned and were fixed on Samantha, who was tied up around her arms as well as her hands. She was on her knees, two shock staffs pointed at her. "**You're** the one who's been sinking freighters in the harbor! Using that monstrosity of metal to rip them apart. Like the Leviathan that guarded the ancient city of Atlantis from all ships that tried to seek it!"

"Ya gotta love a woman who knows her history," Don sighed silently in admiration.

"Not the time to get a case of puppy-love, bro," Mikey reminded him in a whisper. That seemed to snap Don out of it as the Garbageman approached her, smiling evilly.

"An educated woman. I'm starting to like you even more," the Garbageman purred, getting close into her face.

"And I'm starting to pray that you Listerine a Hell of a lot more before you open your mouth! Can you say gingivitis and bad breath!" Samantha snapped, leaning her head back as far away as possible from the Garbageman's. He looked angry for a moment, but then he smiled.

"Such insolence will be dealt with in time. But you are right, my dear," the Garbageman continued. "We have sunk ship after ship unchallenged. And our next prize awaits us on the surface: a cruise ship loaded with wealth!"

"A cruise ship!" Don repeated in shock.

"All those innocent people!" Mikey breathed.

"Are you mad?!" Samantha shouted, struggling to her feet before she was shoved back down again. "There are **innocent** **people** on board! They could get hurt! Or drown!"

"A minor cost for progress, my sweet queen," the Garbageman told her, smiling evilly. "And no one can stop us! NO ONE!" Cheers erupted from the men as the Garbageman smiled evilly. Then, everyone marched down to the deck of the huge, metallic whale.

"This cruise ship will be our greatest prize yet! MUWHAHAHAHAHA!" the Garbageman cackled as he paced back and forth along the deck. Guards lined the sides as two more held Samantha tightly in their grip. "Once more into the breach!" The men shoved Samantha inside alongside the Garbageman as the other men marched behind them.

"Now's our chance! C'mon!" Don told Mikey, leaping out from behind a pile of scrap metal. Mikey followed him and the two of them fell in line behind the other soldiers. They passed by the Shell Sub and Mikey immediately pulled Don back.

"Hey! There's the Shell Sub!" Mikey whispered. "Let's take it and get outta here!"

"Mikey, we can't leave Samantha behind!" Don reminded him. "And we have to stop the Garbageman from sinking that cruise ship! Now, c'mon!"

Inside the bridge, Samantha was beside the Garbageman, still bound and on her knees.

"Target dead ahead!" the Garbageman shouted. "Prepare to send her to the bottom!"

"You're insane!" Samantha yelled, struggling once more against the ropes. "And you won't get away with this! Someone will stop you!"

"Like who, my dear? Your Turtle friends are locked up in the brig, and you yourself are powerless to defeat me!" he reminded her, smiling cruelly. "Activate tentacle arms! Full speed to surface!" the Garbageman screamed. Samantha watched in horror as the metal, clawed tentacles emerged from the creature's mouth and the submarine began rising rapidly towards the surface.

"Brace for impact!" the Garbageman ordered all his crew members. Samantha squeezed her eyes shut, praying for a miracle. Don and Mikey looked at each other.

"We'd better make our move...NOW!" Don shouted before he and Mikey took out the guards. Getting out of their disguises, they managed to defeat the guards and get into the bridge. Samantha opened her eyes and smiled when she saw them. Good old Donny and Mikey! They never let her down.

"We've **got** to turn this thing around **now**!" Don told Mikey, staring at an image of the cruise liner.

"Somehow I think that's gonna be a **lot** harder than it sounds!" Mikey shot back, pointing to the guards that were beginning to surround them.

"Get this trash off my bridge!" the Garbageman roared, pointing at the Turtles. The guards hurried forward, but with a few kicks and flips, the guards were down for the count.

"You freaks!"the Garbageman snarled, pushing the levers on his controls forward. The suit of armor began going down the ramp, advancing on the Turtles. "This time, you won't escape me!" Mikey and Don backed away slowly.

"Get Samantha! I'll handle the Garbageman!" Don ordered. Mikey nodded and then slid underneath the armor, hurrying up the stairs to the Garbageman's throne. Just then, a guard appeared from behind it with a shock staff pointed at Samantha's back. Mikey halted right in his tracks.

"That's right, freak," the guard chuckled. "Don't move an inch, or your little friend gets a nice, little shock." Samantha gritted her teeth as she stealthily slid her foot around the guard's ankle. Then, she hooked it and swept it, throwing him off balance Mikey snatched the shock staff and used it, sending the guard tumbling to the ground, groaning. Mikey saw a sharp, pocket-knife in his belt and quickly took it and sawed through the ropes that bound the young woman.

"You OK?" he asked her as the ropes fell away and she stood up, massaging her wrists to get back the circulation in them.

"Better now. Thanks," she replied. Just then, she looked and saw the Garbageman's claw seize Don around the waist and shell, holding him in the air.

"Don!" Mikey and Samantha shouted, running down towards him. The Garbageman's other claw came at them, but they leapt into the air and managed to dodge it by about an inch or so.

"Mikey! Samantha! The oxygen tanks!" Don yelled as he struggled to get free of the claw. The two looked over and saw the large tanks. Samantha immediately knew what the plan was. She looked at Mikey, and he nodded.

"Got it!" Mikey replied. He snatched up one of the oxygen tanks and together with Samantha slid underneath the Garbageman's suit, placing the oxygen tank right up against it. "Time to ventilate, Crab Boy! Hit it Sammy!"

"With pleasure!" Samantha snapped, kicking out the metal cap. Both of them ducked as the Garbageman and Don soared up to the roof of the sub and hit it hard before they came crashing down. Don leapt clear of the damage as the Garbageman groaned.

"Nice job, boys!" Samantha cheered, exchanging high-fives with Mikey. Don quickly kissed her before they all hurried over to the controls of the submarine's bridge.

"OK. This must be the accelerator module!" Don theorized, gazing down at the console.

"Good! Accelerate it somewhere else!" Mikey shouted, pointing to the screen. The beeping sound indicated that the target was coming up hard and fast. "We're about to hit that ship!"

"C'mon! C'mon!" Don muttered as he pressed some buttons. Samantha then spotted the levers and pushed them in opposite directions. The whale gave a great lurch, throwing Don, Mikey and Sam backwards as it changed course abruptly, missing the cruise ship by inches as it briefly surfaced and then dived back beneath the water. It threw them to the side this time with Don landing on top of his girlfriend.

"Hi," he told her, grinning shyly.

"Hey," she replied, smiling. He cupped her cheek, and then the two of them leaned in.

"So **not** the time, guys!" Mikey reminded them, pulling them harshly back into reality. Don quickly got off of Samantha and steadied himself before helping her up. "Whatever you two just did was good. Now, how about stopping this thing?!"

"I've got a better idea," Don told him, heading back over to the console. "We'll bag two birds with one stone. A little change of course and..._voila!_" They were heading straight back for a collision course with Junklantis. Mikey and Samantha smiled, failing to notice the large shadow of the Garbageman behind them.

"You're wicked! I like it!" Mikey cheered, patting Don on the shoulder.

"And I **love** it!" Samantha chuckled, throwing her arms around Don's neck from behind. Just then, a roar from behind them caused everyone to whip around and see the Garbageman behind them. They just managed to dodge a hit from his claw, which smashed into the console.

"Hold still, you...!" the Garbageman growled before his two legs smashed into the console as the three leapt away in time. Electrocuted, the Garbageman lost his balance and crashed hard into the

"Now that was **really** shocking!" Mikey said. Samantha simply shook her head at the pun.

"We've got to get out of here!" Don yelled, seizing Samantha's hand.

"To the Shell Sub, Boy Wonder and Fair Maiden!" Mikey declared, running ahead. Looking at each other, Don and Samantha shrugged. There was no telling Mikey that his antics were seriously corny. That was just who he was. Running back to the Shell Sub, Samantha hopped onto the wing and climbed in first.

"Get the doors open while I get the Shell Sub powered up!" Don shouted as he climbed in after Samantha.

"The doors open? But won't that flood the room?" Mikey asked.

"Duh!" Don told him. "The Shell Sub doesn't float in the **air**, Mikey! Now, let's move it!" Don hurried down into the bridge of the sub where Samantha was already trying to start the engines.

"It's no use!" she informed him, continuing to press buttons on the console. "The engines aren't powering up!"

"Let me try," Don offered, sitting down beside her and pressing some more of the Shell Sub's controls. Still, nothing happened. "You're right. Come on! Come on! Start!" Just then, Samantha heard what sounded like water rushing in and saw Mikey hurry down into the sub, soaking wet.

"Donny! Hurry up!" Mikey shouted, closing the hatch and sealing it shut.

"I can't get the engines to start!" Don yelled back. He kept pressing the button on the steering wheel of the Shell Sub, but the sputtering sound of the engines was the only response he got.

"C'mon! **C'mon**!" Don growled, pressing the button. A nervous sweat broke out over his brow.

"We're gonna hit!" Mikey yelled, pointing to Junklantis as it came closer and closer to the huge, mechanical submarine. Samantha crossed her fingers, praying for a miracle.

"C'mon! C'mon!" Don breathed. Just then, the engines roared to life and the three friends grinned at one another. "Yes!" Don shouted. "Hang on!"

"Yeah!" Mikey cheered. Samantha quickly scrambled into her seat and buckled up before the Shell Sub sped forward, diving beneath the waters that had flooded the interior of the submarine.

"This is it!" Don yelled as the submarine zoomed out and away from the huge, mechanical monster just seconds before it collided with the port (left) side of Junklantis. It smashed into hundreds of pieces, sending a huge ripple effect over a huge radius. The ripple hit the Shell Sub, sending it into a hard tail spin. Samantha, Don and Mikey were thrown side to side in the Shell Sub before the submarine steadied again and Junklantis was no more than a pile of rubble at the bottom of the river.

"We made it, guys!" Don cheered as he flicked a couple of switches over his head.

"Yeah. But I think I left my stomach back there," Mikey groaned, holding onto his stomach as if he was going to be sick any second.

"Don't worry," Don chuckled as Samantha smiled and unbuckled her seatbelt. "I'll build ya a new one."

"And I'll whip up something extra special when we get back to the Lair that'll help," Samantha added, throwing her arms around Don's neck from behind. Just then, something hit the Shell Sub hard, causing it to jerk forward, sending Samantha tumbling backwards, hitting her head on the edge of her chair.

"What the heck was that?!" she asked, rubbing her aching head. Just then, she felt something wet hitting her head. She looked up and saw water dripping in through the roof of the submarine. One of the warning systems began beeping rapidly. Just then, a submarine with two claws on it came soaring towards them/

"It's him! The Garbageman!" Don shouted.

"That guy doesn't know when to quit!" Mikey groaned, clutching his head with his hands and looking panicked.

"Then let's take him down!" Samantha growled, strapping herself back into her seat. Her head was seriously pounding, and she wanted to take out the pain she was feeling on that obese, disgusting piece of trash in a tin can!

"She's right, Mikey," Don seconded, looking confident and determined. "We whooped him once. We can do it again!"

"Let's do it!" Mikey said, nodding. The Shell Sub rammed into the Garbageman's submarine hard before the chase began. Samantha could see from the radar that the Garbageman was gaining on them. He would be on them in seconds.

"He's closing in on us!" Samantha shouted to the two Turtles.

"Right! Deploying depth charges!" Don replied, flicking a few switches above his head.

"We have depth charges?!" Mikey inquired, looking completely ecstatic. "Sweet!" The three depth charges were deployed from the rear of the submarine and hit the Garbageman's sub hard.

"Direct hit!" Samantha cheered, punching the air with her fist. Just then, the Shell Sub started jerking back and forth.

"Hang on, you two!" Don warned, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "This is going to get rough!" They landed close to the edge of a deep sea chasm and watched as the Garbageman circled his sub around and was coming back towards them.

"Arming torpedoes!" Don shouted, flicking a few more switches.

"He's too close!" Mikey screamed as the submarine closed in on them.

"Setting detonation for ten yards!" Don yelled. Just then, the claws on the Garbageman's submarine seized the Shell Sub tightly.

"He's got us!" Samantha hollered.

"Firing torpedoes!" Don shouted, pressing a button. The torpedoes launched forward, striking the Garbageman's submarine. Freed from the sub's grasp, the Shell Sub reversed its engines as the Garbageman's sub landed hard at the edge of the chasm before tumbling into its depths. The Shell Sub tentatively came forward and saw the Garbageman plummet down into the chasm.

"Whew!" Mikey breathed, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow.

"C'mon. Let's get out of here," Samantha told them. Don nodded and piloted the Shell Sub back through the river and into the underwater access way. Then, the Shell Sub began rising to the surface until it broke the surface and was safely back in the Lair. Opening the hatch, Samantha slid out first followed by Donatello and then Mikey.

"It's about time you guys surfaced," Leo told them as he hugged Samantha. "We were getting worried."

"Man! What da shell happened?!" Raph asked them, looking at some of the damage to the front end of the Shell Sub. Samantha looked up at Don and Mikey before she smiled and winked. They smiled and winked back at her.

"It's a long story, guys," Don told them as he and Mikey sat on the roof of the Shell Sub.

"A **very **long story," Samantha chuckled as she, Don and Mikey began explaining their underwater adventure in the fabled city of Junklantis.

**Me: *walks in with I Love Kittens Too* Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way! Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!**

**Mikey: Hey! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way! **

**Me and Mikey: Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh! HEY! *laugh and high-five***

**Raph: Geez! Can't you two keep it down?!**

**Don: Give 'em a break, Raph! It's Christmas Eve!**

**Leo: Yeah! Where's your holiday spirit?!**

**Raph: I ain't got none!**

**I Love Kittens Too: That's not true Rafael! I know you have some, even if it's only a little!**

**Raph: Who're you?!**

**I Love Kittens Too: My pen name is I Love Kittens Too, pero yo soy Margui y vivo en Miami.**

**Mikey: What'd she say?**

**Me: She said her name's Margaret and she lives in Miami.**

**Leo: You speak Spanish?**

**Me: Somewhat.**

**Don: Hola. Me llamo Donatello. ¿Cómo estas?**

**I Love Kittens Too: Estoy bien, gracias.**

**Mikey: Man! I feel so left out of this!**

**I Love Kittens Too: Aww! Don't worry about it, Mikey! I'll speak English from now on. I hate upsetting someone as amazing as you!**

**Mikey: Woohoo! I'm awesome! *Starts breakdancing***

**Raph: Oh great!**

**I Love Kittens Too: Don't worry Raph! You're awesome too! And so are Leo and Donny!**

**Raph: Yeah baby! Another fan thinks I'm awesome! As if there was ever any doubt!**

**Leo: Cocky ninja!**

**Don: You can say THAT again!**

**Me: Alright! Enough talk! What are we gonna do?**

**Mikey: Well, we still have to decorate the Christmas tree in the Lair.**

**Raph: Oh yeah. Right!**

**Leo: Would you two girls like to help us?**

**Me: Sure!**

**I Love Kittens Too: Absolutely!**

***Me and I Love Kittens Too help the guys decorate the huge Christmas tree in the center of the Lair. Mikey accidentally covers Master Splinter with some tinsel and he whacks him on the head lightly with his walking stick. Raph and I Love Kittens Too bake chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen with Raph licking the bowl. Leo helps me and Donny decorate the tree with ornaments. Then the three of us put the star on top of the tree. Raph and I Love Kittens Too finish baking the cookies and we all sit down and eat them.***

**I Love Kittens Too: This was the most amazing Christmas Eve I've ever spent with four, teenage mutant ninja turtles and one of my favorite authors!**

**Me: Aw shucks! It was nothing!**

**Raph: Yeah. And...thanks. Fer helping me get back in the holiday spirit. **

**I Love Kittens Too: Not a problem. Oh, and before I forget...*gives everyone a wrapped present* Merry Christmas everyone!**

**Mikey: You are awesome, dudette!**

**Don: Thanks!**

**Raph: Yer awesome!**

**Leo: This is too much, I Love Kittens Too.**

**Me: Yeah. And we didn't even get you anything.**

**I Love Kittens Too: Oh, that's alright. I've gotta get going. Merry Christmas everyone!**

**Me, Leo, Raph, Mikey and Don: Merry Christmas, I Love Kittens Too! *I Love Kittens Too leaves***

**Leo: We need to give her something.**

**Don: I agree. It's only fair.**

**Mikey: But what? And how are we gonna get it to her?**

**Raph: I dunno. But I'll be back in a second. *leaves and then comes back about an hour later***

**Me: Where've you been, Hothead? We were getting worried.**

**Raph: Just had an...errand to run. I'm tired. I'll see you guys in da morning. And merry Christmas, Livangel16. **

**Me: Merry Christmas Raphael. *takes a receipt out of Raph's pocket* And thanks for the early present. Hmm. Wow. **

**Mikey: What? What?**

**Leo: He bought her a ruby necklace.**

**Don: Four of them.**

**Mikey: What's he need four for?**

**Me: One for I Love Kittens Too, one for Kimmie98, one for bell-13-tmnt-lover and one for...Tonya.**

**Leo: Oh my gosh! I'd better go and buy Makayla her present!**

**Don: And same with Samantha! *they run off to the store***

**Mikey: Lucky for me. I got my present for Olivia weeks ago.**

**Me: Nice job, Mikey. So, shall we give these readers a holiday send-off?**

**Mikey: You know it, Livangel16!**

**Me and Mikey: We wish you a Merry Christmas! We wish you a Merry Christmas! We wish you a Merry Christmas...AND A HAPPY, TMNT-FILLED NEW YEAR!**

**So, there's the fifty-fifth chapter of Not An Ordinary Girl, guys. Please review as you know how important it is to me! And to all my readers and followers around the world, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! Happy holidays everyone! **

**-Livangel16**


	56. Chapter 56

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Hello everyone! So, I know it's Christmas Eve and everything, but I just felt like updating this story. But first, thank you SO MUCH to all of my reviewers: grapejuice101, Aster Sapphire, pokemonjkl, Kimmie98, IAmTheDragonEmpress, flamedragon242, lovefairytail007, mchap114, ninja-warrior101, bell-13-tmnt-lover, IceColdFever, Luna moon moonlight, NeverMindSoGo and zrexheartz. You guys are amazing, and I hope to see more reviews from you in the future! I was hoping to see more reviews, but I guess everyone's off on their holiday vacations and what-not! So, this next chapter is based on the episode from season 2 called "The Golden Puck". Hope you enjoy it! On with the story! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Fifty-Six

"So apparently, Casey and the guys invited us all to go and watch Super Slam Hockey," Samantha informed her best friends as she buried her chin into her coat. It was hard to believe that winter was already here. It felt like it was just yesterday when summer had started. The months had gone by so quickly that Samantha hadn't realized that she was going into her second year at NYU until she went and picked up a course catalog to choose her courses. She'd decided that she was going to do a double major in Political Science and English Literature. Tonya was doing a Specialist in Psychology, Olivia was going into Life Sciences with a focus on Biology and Anatomy, and Makayla was doing a degree in Commerce. The four girls had one class together, but even then, they still managed to see each other every Thursday since they'd planned that their friendship was one that shouldn't be lost to time and differences in career choice.

"Yeah, I know!" Tonya exclaimed, looking ecstatic. "Raph called me and invited me to come along! Super Slam Hockey! It's **the** coolest sport ever!"

"What **is** Super Slam Hockey exactly?" Makayla inquired.

"It's like NHL meets WWE: Smackdown vs. RAW with a little bit of Tony Hawk mixed in since there are ramps and stuff," Olivia explained. When the other girls looked at her strangely, she shrugged. "When my dad comes home on leave, that's all he talks about."

"Well I'm **definitely **down for some Super Slam!" Tonya cheered, punching the air.

"Count me in," Samantha seconded. "It's sounds interesting, even though it seems a little...violent."

"Count me out!" Olivia countered. "Anything that's more violent than NHL fighting is too violent for me! Besides, I have an anatomy lab tomorrow that I need to study for."

"Sorry guys," Makayla replied. "I wish I could come, but I've got a doctor's appointment since my shoulder's been acting up from the wound."

"It **still** hasn't healed?!" Olivia demanded, looking nothing less than worried. "Mac! It's been months since you were...!" She spotted a few people walking by on their way to class and quickly lowered her voice. "Since you were shot! That wound should've healed by now!"

"It has, 'Liv!" Makayla insisted. "Don't worry about it. It's just a little pain that the doctor wants to examine. Nothing more. I'll be fine."

"Using lines like that, it's not hard to believe that you're dating Leo, Mac," Tonya chuckled, smirking a bit.

"Yeah. That's **definitely** his favorite catch-phrase," Samantha agreed, shaking her head lightly.

"Speaking of Leo, he hasn't run into our..._mutual friend_, has he?" Makayla asked Sam, her eyes narrowing slightly. Olivia and Tonya were confused, but then again, Mac and Sam hadn't gotten around to telling them about Karai, probably because Tonya would want to track her down and whoop her butt back to the Stone Age.

"Not to my knowledge," Samantha answered. "And Don or Leo or one of the others would've told me if they'd had a run-in with..._our mutual friend_."

"One of these days, you two are gonna have to tell us about this "mutual friend", you know," Olivia informed them, hands on her hips.

"Especially seeing as we're always standing about two feet away from you two whenever said "friend" comes up," Tonya added, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Don't worry guys. We'll tell you the whole story soon," Samantha promised, linking arms with Tonya. "But right now, we've got a date with our boyfriends, their best friend and some Super Slam Hockey!"

* * *

The arena was packed as a light flurry of snow fell in Central Park and on the ice itself. Samantha was sitting beside Donatello, who was reading a book on hockey (no surprise there). Mikey was above them wolfing down cheese-covered nachos in a huge bucket. Raph, Leo, Tonya and Casey were all observing the match going on. The Turtles and Casey were all wearing hockey masks similar to the one Casey always wore. Samantha and Tonya, on the other hand, had flat out refused to wear them. They might have gotten rink-side seating, but there was no way either Samantha or Tonya were wearing those ridiculous masks.

"What a night for Super Slam Hockey, folks!" the commentator declared over the screams and the cheers of the crowd. "The Golden Grizzlies have the puck and are going for it! The game is tied at 3-3! The winning team gets the famed Golden Puck to hold on to for one, whole year! Super Slam Hockey's greatest prize!"

The opposing team's forward skated towards the Grizzlies' forward and then slammed him hard into the sideboards.

"Oooo! He just got **Super Slammed!**" the announcer shouted as the Grizzlies' forward shook his head, trying to shake off the hard hit he'd taken.

"Ouch! That's gotta hurt!" Samantha exclaimed, wincing slightly.

"I wouldn't wanna be that guy in the morning!" Tonya laughed as she watched the other team skating towards the Grizzlies' goal. "Can you say "major muscle pain"?!"

"And there's the shot!" the announcer shouted as the player with the puck took a slapshot, which was blocked by the goalie. "De-nied!" The crowds were going crazy as the Grizzlies regained control of the puck and skated out of their zone.

"And don't forget folks, hang on to those ticket stubs!" the announcer told the crowds. "Four lucky people are going home with one of those gorgeous snowmobiles! Courtesy of Crazy Manny's Winter Wonderland Depot!"

"I'm so crazy I'm **givin'** them away!" Crazy Manny shouted from his place beside the four, coveted snowmobiles.

"That's not hard to tell," Samantha commented, earning snickers and chuckles from her friends and her boyfriend.

"The Bowrie Battlers have the puck! Looks like they're going all the way!" The Bowrie Battlers' forward skated up the ramp and practically flipped over the heads of all the Golden Grizzlies as he skated for the net.

"Super Slam! Super Slam! Super Slam!" the crowd chanted as the player drew back his stick, slapped the puck hard and watched as it sailed past the Golden Grizzlies' goaltender and hit the back of the net.

"GOAL!" the announcer yelled as the crowds cheered and Casey yelled in glee.

"Yeah! Super Slam Hockey's gotta be da greatest sport known ta man!" Casey shouted happily, punching the air with his fists.

"Or animals," Leo countered, raising his mask for a second. "I mean, don't ya think it's kinda rough?"

"Yeah!" Raph cheered, smiling and raising his mask to look at Leo. "**Dat's **what makes it so great!"

"I second that, Raph!" Tonya agreed, high-fiving her boyfriend.

"You two are a match made in heaven," Samantha observed, rolling her eyes slightly as Don, Leo and Mikey snickered.

"You said it, Raph!" Casey said, sounding so excited that he might explode with happiness any second. "Ta me, it's da perfect evolution of a great sport!" He and Raph high-fived before Tonya leaned over and got hers from Casey as well.

"More importantly, the concessions are **awesome**!" Mikey declared, munching on some nachos with melted, cheddar cheese dripping all over them.

"Hey!" Don shouted as a glob of melted cheese landed on the page of his book.

"Gross!" Samantha added, moving slightly away from Don and the line of fire.

"De only thing I don't like about it is wearing dese stupid masks!" Raph said to Leo, pointing to the mask.

"Exactly why **we** didn't wear them!" Tonya reminded him, smirking as she and Samantha giggled and high-fived.

"What?!" Casey exclaimed, sounding shocked before pulling on his own mask. "See?! Do we look cool or do we look cool?"

"Do you **really** want an **honest** answer to that question?" Tonya asked bluntly as Samantha snickered into her gloved hand.

"All those who think we look cool, say aye," Leo told the others.

"Nay!" everyone chorused, shaking their heads.

"All dose who think dat Casey is a complete and absolute bonehead?" Raph supplied.

"Who thinks he's the epitome of cool but really isn't, say aye," Samantha finished.

"Aye!" everyone shouted together, raising their right hands. Raph turned to his best friend and smirked.

"De "ayes" have it Case," Raph informed him. "Yer a bonehead!"

"Who thinks he's the epitome of cool, but really isn't," Tonya added on, earning a laugh and a high-five from Samantha and a kiss on the cheek from Raph.

"Yeah. I'm da uncool bonehead that got you guys dese great seats," Casey reminded them. "We're so close to da Golden Puck, ya can almost reach out and touch it!" Casey removed his mask and stared at the Golden Puck with awe and admiration.

"The Golden Puck! Made by..." Casey started, but then lost his answer. "Some old guy a really long time ago," he finished.

"Actually, it says that the Golden Puck was handcrafted for Frederic Henry, a prince in 17th century Holland," Don informed them, reading from a page in the book. "He played a moderation of an old Dutch game called _colven_, which some believe to be an early version of ice hockey."

"Like I said...some old guy a really long time ago," Casey agreed, brushing off Don's little factual input as they turned back to the game. And with a final slapshot that made it past the Golden Grizzlies' goaltender again, the buzzer went off and the Bowrie Battlers all gathered around to celebrate.

"And there's the final buzzer, folks!" the announcer declared over the shouts and cheers of the crowds in the arena. "With the score 5-3, the Bowrie Battlers win!" Just then, Samantha thought she saw a shadow over the ice. She looked up and saw something in the air.

"Guys! Look at **that**!" Samantha exclaimed, pointing to what looked like parahawk planes with parachutes coming towards the arena.

"Check out da fancy post-game show!" Casey told them, looking up and seeing the planes along with the guys.

"A post-game show?" Raph repeated, removing his mask so that he could gaze up at the sky.

"With military parahawks?" Leo added as the planes came floating down towards the arena and then continue floating down. Samantha was getting a really bad vibe from them.

"Heads up, guys!" Leo warned. "Something's not kosher here!" Just then, the parahawks touched down on the ice, and as they zoomed across, Samantha saw three people who looked like cowboys firing laser guns at the players and the crowds.

"If by "not kosher", you meant cowboys with laser guns, then I'm with you, Leo," Tonya observed. People screamed and ran for the exits, but Samantha, Tonya and the guys stayed put. Just then, one of the cowboys took out a device and threw it on the ice in front of them. There was a beeping noise and then, the device exploded, burying everyone underneath a pile of rubble. Samantha opened her eyes to see that she and Tonya were underneath a glowing, pulsing shield of some sort.

"Are we dead? This doesn't feel like "dead"," Tonya commented, looking down at her intact body.

"We're in some sort of shield," Samantha informed her. "But where did it come from?"

"Your necklace is glowing!" Tonya exclaimed, pointing at the Amulet. Samantha looked down and saw that Tonya was right. The Amulet was glowing with a bright light that was light-blue in color.

"It must be the _tengu's_ powers," Samantha muttered aloud. "But...I...I didn't activate it."

"Maybe it's starting to sense when you're in danger and acts on its own," Tonya suggested. Samantha was about to answer when she heard Don's voice yelling, "Samantha!" and Raph shouting, "Tonya!" along with a string of profanities that would've made Master Splinter smack him hard across the face with his walking stick. Finally, a shaft of daylight poured in and Samantha and Tonya saw the worried faces of the four Turtles and Casey turned into looks of relief.

"Thank God," Don breathed before he noticed that the two girls were in a shield. Reaching out towards them, Don's hand passed through the shield. Samantha grasped it and allowed him to haul her out while Raph handled Tonya. The entrance caved in behind them as the shield vanished and the rubble came crashing down.

"Are you girls alright?" Leo asked them.

"We're fine," Tonya replied, dusting herself off. Raph's arm was draped protectively around her waist. "Luckily, Samantha's necklace cast some sort of shield and saved our skins."

"Way ta go, Sammy!" Mikey crowed, patting her on the shoulder.

"But...I didn't do it!" Samantha protested. "I...I don't even know how to make a shield! It just...appeared."

"So the _tengu's_ starting to use its powers without you having to activate them?" Leo questioned, looking slightly worried.

"I don't know, but..." Samantha was interrupted by a loud yell from Casey.

"Oh no!" he shouted. "They took da Golden Puck!"

"It's just a puck, Casey," Leo told him, dusting himself off. "No one was hurt. That's what's important."

"Just a puck?! Just **a puck**?!" Casey repeated, sounding furious and shocked.

"I don't think you should've said that, Leo," Samantha whispered to him, looking on with concern as Casey went on a rant.

"It's **not ** just a puck! Dat Golden Puck is a symbol! It comes from da beginning of ice hockey and carries us forward to da future of...ice hockey!" He grabbed Leo's jacket lapels and shook him hard. "Don't ya get it?! It's like stealin' The Empire State Building! Or...or...or apple pie!"

"They have apple pie here?" Mikey asked, a smile on his face as he retrieved his nachos.

"Oh brother!" Tonya groaned, planting her face in her palm.

"I gotta stop 'em!" Casey shouted, hurrying off after the cowboys in the parahawks.

"Think we should help Case?" Raph asked the others.

"After those Western yahoos almost buried us alive in a ton of wood and stone, Hell yeah!" Tonya told them firmly, clenching her fist.

"Getting the Golden Puck back sounds more like something the police should handle," Don countered.

"Yeah, but Casey might get hurt," Leo argued.

"Or worse: Casey might hurt somebody," Raph added.

"Where's the pie? I distinctly heard someone say "pie"!" Mikey told them. Samantha rolled her eyes and then looked over at the snowmobiles before looking back at the guys.

"We can't catch up with military parahawks on foot," Samantha reminded them.

"Ya got a better way ta catch 'em, Princess?" Raph shot back.

"As a matter of fact," Samantha answered, looking back at the snowmobiles and smiling. "I do." She looked at Tonya and the two girls exchanged looks, nodded and then ran over to the four snowmobiles. Leaping onto one, Samantha in front and Tonya behind her, the two girls took off after Casey and the thieves, powering up the ramp and soaring over the wall and out of the arena. Raph whistled.

"Damn! What a pair o' women!" Raph breathed, looking impressed.

"That's my girl," Don chuckled as he and the others jumped onto the remaining snowmobiles. Raph revved his engine and took off after the girls, passing them and reaching Casey before they did.

"Comin' through!" Raph shouted as he, Leo, Donny bypassed Casey.

"Heads up, Casey!" Mikey shouted before he reached out a hand and grabbed Casey, pulling him onto the back of his snowmobile.

"Thanks fer da lift, Mikey!" Casey told him. "Now open up dat throttle and let's catch dese goons!"

"You hear the man, Sam!" Tonya shouted. "Time ta put the pedal to the metal!"

"You got it!" Samantha yelled back before opening the throttle and soaring past Mikey and Casey and catching up with Donny and Leo. The parahawks weren't that far ahead of Raph, and they weren't too far behind him.

"They're heading towards the city!" Samantha shouted to Don and Leo.

"There's a subway station close to here!" Don informed them. "That must be where they're going to try and shake us!"

"Then that's where **we're** going too!" Tonya declared, gritting her teeth as they soared over a small hillock and landed back on the pavement of the park. Raph was soaring in front of them and didn't even get off his snowmobile before pursuing the guys into the subway station.

"Is he nuts?!" Tonya demanded.

"He's **your** boyfriend," Samantha reminded her. Just then, they heard an explosion coming from the 59th Street Station. Worried beyond belief, Samantha and Tonya soared down the stairs with Leo and the others close behind. The mangled, flaming remains of the snowmobile lay all over the floor and Raph was on his stomach, moaning.

"Raph! Raph! Are you OK?!" Leo asked he and his brothers leapt off their snowmobiles with Tonya and Samantha and helped him to his feet. He didn't say anything, but growled and narrowed his eyes in the direction the subway train had gone.

"He's OK," Mikey and Tonya said at the same time. Just then, the sound of police sirens could be heard.

"Great! Just what we need: cops!" Tonya groaned. "Let's book!"

"Tonya's right," Leo agreed. "We'd better make ourselves scarce!" Everyone began hurrying off, but Raph stopped for a moment.

"Hang on a second!" Raph told them, stooping down and picking up what looked like an empty matchbox. "One of dose yahoos tossed dis!"

"What is it?" Casey asked.

"A matchbox," Raph answered, studying it carefully. "Compliments of...da Sierra Hotel."

"Looks like it's time for a little stakeout, guys," Samantha said, smiling wickedly.

* * *

Raph, Mikey and Samantha were gazing through night vision goggles at the Sierra Hotel across the street. Everyone else was standing nearby. Dressed in her battle suit with a black mask over face and a black scarf around her throat, Samantha looked every inch a warrior. Tonya was still wearing her dark jeans and black parka, but she'd insisted on tagging along with them. And Hell hath no fury like Tonya when she didn't get to come with them and kick the butts of the people who'd tried to kill her.

"Check it out! They've got free movie channel cable!" Mikey informed them.

"That's **not** what you're supposed to be looking for, Mikey!" Tonya scolded, smacking him lightly in the head.

"Lemme see!" Casey demanded.

"Stay focused, guys!" Leo and Sam both told them at the same time.

"You two are sounding more like each other every day," Casey observed, smirking at Leo and then Samantha. "Are you two sure yer not datin'?!"

"Say that again Jones, and you answer to **me!**" Don growled, narrowing his eyes at Casey, who took a step back, nodding in fear.

"Got 'em!" Raph declared. "Mr. Matchstick himself! 3rd floor, fifth room from the end!" He handed the goggles back to Donatello. Slipping undetected into the Sierra, they quickly ducked into a spare room or hid in the chandelier when the three cowboys got into the elevator.

"OK. They're gone," Leo told the others as they emerged from their hiding places.

"Why don't we just ice dose suckers?!" Casey demanded, clenching his fist.

"We have to find the Golden Puck first, Casey," Leo reminded him as he flipped down from the chandelier light while the others came out into the hallway. Donatello took out a small device.

"If they know we're on to them, we'll never get the chance to find that puck," Don added, standing next to a locked, hotel room door. Taking out a keycard attached to different wires. "But...since they were nice enough to go out..." He slid the phony key into the slot and the green light appeared.

"Nice job, Donny!" Samantha cheered as he opened the door. Everyone quickly fanned out and searched the room for it.

"Nothing here," Samantha told them.

"Nada on this end either!" Tonya seconded.

"Nothing," Don added.

"It's not here," Leo said, closing the night table drawer.

"Dose cowpokes must've stashed it someplace else!" Raph told them.

"We'll have to follow them. I bet they'll lead us right to it," Don theorized. Just then, Samantha heard the elevator stop on their floor.

"They're coming back!" she hissed.

"I can't **believe** you left the keys to the van in the room, Robby!" Slim growled.

"Nuh-uh! Bobby's the one that done it!" Robby replied, pointing at his twin.

"Everybody hide!" Tonya whispered as she, Samantha, Mikey, Don and Leo leapt out the window and hid on the ledge. The lights came on, and Sam could see that Raph was hiding above the door on the ceiling and Casey was hiding in plain view between the beds.

"Casey's in the open!" Leo hissed.

"What a bonehead!" Mikey groaned, shaking his head. "Hang on!" Mikey leapt onto the other ledge and slipped back inside the hotel.

"What's he doing?" Tonya asked.

"Saving Casey how Mikey knows best," Don answered as he watched one of the thieves walk towards the space where Casey was hiding. Samantha held her breath and then, there was a knock on the door. Turning around with their laser guns ready to be used, they all approached the door.

"Housekeeping! More towels for you!" Samantha heard someone say in a raspy, female voice. She hid her giggles in her head as she and Tonya helped Leo and Don haul Casey up and out of sight. Samantha quickly put a hand over his mouth just in case.

"Nice save, Mikey!" Tonya whispered, but then she and the others ducked back out of sight when the leader of the three (Slim, Samantha thought he was called) came to the window and looked outside. No one dared to breathe.

"Just get the key and c'mon!" Slim ordered. "The big man himself will be here any minute!"

"Looks like we'll be seeing that Golden Puck any second now," Tonya whispered as Raph and Mikey joined them on the rooftop. Just then, three, black cars pulled up. One of the drivers came out and opened the back door. A short, stout man with brown, cowboy boots and wearing a white, pristine suit came out of the car, his white hair tucked underneath a brown cowboy hat.

"Well boys! Ya'll got what I asked ya?!" the man in the white suit asked, smiling slightly.

"What's up with these yahoos and their Southern accents?" Samantha asked as they all stood on the roof and watched as Robby and Bobby opened the back doors of the van and revealed the Golden Puck sitting in the center, intact and still as beautiful as ever.

"We got it, Mr. Arboost! But...it cost a lot more than we figured!" Slim informed him, rubbing the back of his neck. "Had ta ditch our parahawks!"

"Well, you know me boys," Mr. Arboost replied as if this was a minor obstacle. "Money don't mean a thing. Send me the bill...and add a little something on the end for doing such a fine job."

"Why, thank you Mr. Arboost!" Slim said proudly. "This is brother Robby and my other brother, Bobby," he said, pointing to the two, taller, bigger men behind him. "You boys thank Mr. Arboost now."

"Thank you, Mr. Arboost," Bobby and Robby said at the same time, tipping their hats.

"Boys, I can't wait ta see the faces of those suits when I tell 'em I got their precious Golden Puck!" Mr. Arboost crowed, smiling evilly. "Wouldn't give **me** a Super Slam Hockey team! Said my image was all wrong! But so what if I just got outta jail?! Big deal! I want a Super Slam Hockey team! And now, I got me a golden bargaining chip! Ain't that right, boys!"

"These Western yahoos are **really** getting on my nerves!" Tonya growled, clenching her fists.

"Time ta clock these clowns and get da Puck?!" Casey asked.

"Yes," Leo confirmed. "Time to clock these clowns and get the Puck!"

"Don't ya just love consensus?" Tonya chuckled.

"Yeah. But I love taking out goons more," Raph told her, drawing out his sais.

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Samantha demanded as she did a backflip off the ledge and landed right in front of Arboost. Landing a hard kick that sent him flying backwards into his car, Mikey leapt inside with Tonya and Sam, securing the Golden Puck before Raph and Leo took out the other guards with Don. Raph and Leo leapt onto the roof of the van.

"Goongola!" Casey yelled before he smashed onto the roof of the van hard and then rolled off into the street.

"Ouch! Now **that's** gotta hurt!" Tonya exclaimed, wincing as Mikey and Samantha held onto the Golden Puck.

"Casey! Heads up!" Leo shouted, tossing him the keys. Casey caught them and then scrambled into the van with Donatello. The van took off, swerving from side to side viciously. Mikey and Sam were being slammed around the back of the van.

"Keep dat Golden Puck safe, guys!" Casey shouted as he swerved to avoid the blasts from the laser guns their pursuers were using. "It's really old and stuff!"

"It's not the...Golden Puck I'm...worried about!" Mikey managed to grit out as he and Samantha slammed into the walls of the van.

"Me...neither!" Tonya told them as she and Don were jounced around in their seats. Just then, she felt something hit them from behind, sending the van into a tailspin. Tonya shouted and swore as Samantha and Mikey held on tightly to the Golden Puck. Sam could only pray that Leo and Raph were alright on the roof. Another hard slam to the bumper came, jarring everyone again. Samantha swore that she heard Leo shout, "Raph!" She wanted to check up on them, but she had to trust that they'd be alright. Finally, after many more swerves and turns, the van rested inside an alley.

"You guys alright?" Leo asked Tonya, Mikey and Sam as he and Raph helped them out of the van.

"A little dizzy, but otherwise fine," Samantha said. Her head was spinning slightly, and her foot slipped. Fortunately, Leo was nearby and caught her as she stumbled into his plastron.

"You sure you don't want me to carry you, Sam?" Leo asked as he held her firmly so that she wouldn't fall.

"Just give me a minute to recover from that madman's driving," Samantha told him as she slowly regained her vision and balance.

"Better?"

"Much. Thanks."

"Anytime."

"OK. We have the Golden Puck. Let's just get it to the authorities and call it a night," Leo told Casey as they all grouped around the front of the van.

"No way!" Casey countered. "Dose goons are still out dere! We gotta catch 'em and den teach 'em a lesson!"

"Casey!" Samantha groaned, slamming her palm over her eyes. "This is more than...!" Just then, a crackling sound came from inside the van, and Samantha saw that it was the radio.

"Jimmy, this is Mr. Arboost, do you read?!" Arboost's voice said over the radio.

"Loud and clear!" Jimmy replied.

"Jimmy, we need us some new transport!" Arboost informed him. "Pick us up at 3rd and 128th."

"On our way," Jimmy answered. Casey picked up the radio in his hand.

"I got an idea," Casey told them.

"Oh no!" Tonya groaned, planting her face in her palm.

"We're doomed!" Samantha seconded, throwing up her hands to the sky. Casey ignored them and then began talking into the radio.

"Come on back, Donnybear," Casey said into the radio. "We got us da Golden Puck and we're taking it back to da Central Park so dat de authorities will find it right there where it was stolen!"

"Donnybear?!" Samantha whispered to Leo. "Even **I** don't him **that**, and **I'm** his **girlfriend**!"

"You don't have the mind of Casey Jones, Samantha," Leo reminded her.

"Thank goodness for some small mercies," she shot back playfully, causing the both of them to silently snicker.

"Uh...that's a big ten-four," Don replied into the radio, not sounding quite as convincing as Casey. "Sounds like a great idea."

* * *

In almost no time at all, the seven friends were back at the arena. Casey placed the Golden Puck back on the stand where it had originally been before flashing the guys and the girls a thumbs-up and a winning smile. He was leaning against the stand looking confident, which Samantha couldn't believe as she and the others were hidden behind one of the brick walls built onto the ice.

"Remind me again why this was such a good idea?" Don asked Leo.

"It **wasn't** a good idea," Leo reminded him. "It was **Casey's** idea!"

"If dis plan works, I'm gonna eat my shoe," Raph groaned, holding his head in his hand.

"We don't wear shoes!" Mikey chuckled. Raph growled and smacked him in the head. Just then, a roaring wind seemed to come out of nowhere.

"Heads up, guys!" Samantha whispered as she and the others spotted the yellow helicopter coming in for a landing. "Looks like we've got company!" Dust blew around, blinding them for a second, but then, it settled and revealed Arboost and his cronies, armed with laser guns.

"Hand over the Golden Puck son!" Arboost demanded, holding onto his hat.

"Yer gonna have ta pry it from my cold, lifeless hands!" Casey shouted back, standing firmly planted beside the Golden Puck.

"Alrighty then," Arboost said, smiling, his arms crossed over his chest. "Boys! Open season on Mr. Hero!" Arboost's henchmen took out their laser guns and aimed them straight at Casey.

"Hold on! Hold on!" Casey told them, waving his hands. "There's something I want ya ta know! I have friends!" Snapping his fingers, the Turtles and the girls were supposed to jump out and start kicking butt. But Leo held them back as they started snickering. "I said, **I have friends**!" Still nothing happened.

"Think he's sweated enough?" Leo asked, chuckling and holding a katana in his hand. The others were either quietly laughing or snickering.

"This is cruel, guys!" Samantha told them before she started snickering again. "But I like it!"

"Hello?! Friends? Remember?" Casey called out, sounding nervous.

"Now son: yer obviously plum loco!" Arboost told him firmly. "So I don't wanna waste any more time on ya! What I **do** want is that Golden Puck!" Just then, Casey spotted Leo waving to him as he and the others all stood up, ready to fight.

"And I **always** get what I want," Arboost finished, narrowing his eyes through his pink eyeglasses.

"Well I hope ya want a whole helping o' butt-whooping 'cause dat's exactly what yer gonna get!" Casey snapped back.

"Let's do it!" Samantha shouted as she and the others leapt into the air towards the group of Western thieves.

"Open fire!" Arboost roared. His henchmen began firing at Casey, who managed to dodge the blasts and duck behind the stand which the Golden Puck sat on. He quickly grabbed it too, shielding it from the lasers.

"Yo! Watch it with da Golden Puck!" Casey shouted. "It's really old and stuff!"

Leaping into the fight, Samantha and Leo were like twin windmills, slicing through laser guns and taking out the henchmen who used them.

"Slim! We's under attack!" Robby shouted.

"By some fellas in funny frog costumes!" Bobby finished. Just then, he spotted Tonya blasting at some of their men with a laser gun she'd managed to snatch. Then, he saw Samantha take out another henchmen. "And a couple of gals too!"

"Well, this **is** New York City boys," Slim reminded them.

"Right," Bobby and Robby said together. Meanwhile, the Turtles and the girls were doing amazing against Arboost's men. Raph had managed to slide down one of the ramps and dig his sai into the ice before kicking down all the henchmen around him. Mikey was easily dodging laser blasts. And Don had managed to skate around the ice before flying off a ramp, flipping in the air and then taking out two henchmen with his bo staff.

"Goongola!" she heard Casey yell before he leapt in and started smacking guys left and right with a hockey stick. Then, he turned to the others. "Yo guys! Catch!" Tossing six more sticks in the air, Samantha, Tonya and the Turtles caught them before nodding at each other and skating off along the ice of the rink. Taking out the twins was a piece of cake for Samantha and the Turtles while Tonya dealt with Slim one-on-one.

"Woohoo!" Casey cheered, raising his hockey stick above his head.

"Not so fast, boys and lady!" Arboost chuckled, holding Tonya in a choke hold as she struggled. A laser gun was pointed straight at her head. Everyone froze. "Hand over that Golden Puck to me, or yer little lady friend's not gonna have much in her head by the time the laser gets through it."

"Tonya!" Raph shouted, skating forward slightly. "Why you little...!" Leo held him back.

"Don't hurt her," Leo told Arboost. "We'll...we'll give it to you."

"I thought you might say that," Arboost said before he laughed. Samantha and Tonya locked eyes before Tonya gritted her teeth and flipped Arboost over her back and onto the ice before leaping into the air and catching the gun before landing firmly on the ice with the barrel pointed right at his head.

"You **do not** take me hostage for your little games, dickweed!" Tonya growled, jamming the barrel right against his temple. "**Ever! **UNDERSTAND?!"

"Y...Y...Yes, ma'am," Arboost said, standing and backing up slowly towards the wall looking terrified.

"Alright Boss Hog!" Casey snapped, skating towards him. "Now yer gonna learn what Slam Hockey's all about!" Arboost took out a laser gun from his coat and pointed it at Casey, but he smashed it right out of his hand with the hockey stick.

"N...N...Now...Now hold on, son," Arboost stammered nervously, backing away further from Casey. "I'm sure we can make a deal."

"Deal with THIS!" Casey shouted before smacking Arboost hard. The man fell to the ice.

"Sam! Tonya! You're on!" Casey told them. Casey tossed Tonya his hockey stick and she caught it before she twirled it like Don would twirl his bo staff.

"Let's show this cowboy how Southern belles play Super Slam Hockey, Samantha!" Tonya growled.

"You got it!" Samantha agreed before the two girls skated forward at a high speed and slammed Arboost into the goal hard. The buzzer went off and the two girls high-fived.

"Super Slam Hockey!" Casey cheered, slapping hands with Raph. "It's da best!" Just then, the sound of sirens could be heard and Casey and the others quickly vanished into the night.

* * *

Watching from the snow-covered trees of Central Park, they saw Arboost and his gang being taken into custody.

"Thanks guys," Casey told them gratefully. "Saving da Golden Puck meant a lot ta me."

"And getting ta see my girl whoop some serious shell meant a lot ta **me!**" Raph added, wrapping a proud arm around Tonya's shoulders. "You were great out dere, Tonya. I'm proud of ya."

"Aw, thanks Raph!" Tonya replied, smiling. "But don't think this means that because you compliment me that I'm gonna stop getting on your shell about things!"

"Wouldn't change dat for da world, babe. Believe me," Raph told her before he pulled her into a heart-warming kiss.

"Gross!" Mikey chuckled.

"Get a room!" Leo laughed.

"You guys," Samantha sighed when Raph and Tonya finally broke apart.

"But anyways, forget about it, Case," Raph told him, smiling.

"That's what friends do," Samantha added.

"Yeah. But check out the final score," Don reminded them.

"Turtles and allies-17," Leo told them.

"Texas yahoos-zip," Raph finished confidently.

"Now **that's** a score worthy of the Golden Puck!" Samantha chuckled.

"I second that," Tonya agreed.

"Turtles and allies rule!" Casey cheered. Everyone stood up and high-fived after that, cheering.

"I never** did** get any pie!" Mikey reminded everyone. "Where **was **that stinkin' pie anyways?!"

"Oh brother!" Tonya groaned. Raph was about to smack him when Samantha said, "Please. Allow me," and then proceeded to smack him hard in the skull.

"Ouch! Sammy!" Mikey whined.

"And if you ever ruin another Kodak moment, Mikey," Samantha warned. "I'm **kicking** your shell instead of slapping you in the head! Got it?"

"Got it," Mikey replied.

"Good," Samantha said, smiling. "Now, how about you guys come over to the mansion and we discuss the plays of the game over some hot chocolate?"

"All those who think that's the best idea we've heard all night, say aye," Leo said to everyone.

"Aye!" everyone chorused, raising their hands.

"Hey! What about **my** idea ta take out dose yahoos and save da Golden Puck?!" Casey reminded them. Everyone stopped and stared at each other.

"Let's not even get started on **that**, Casey," Leo told him.

"Agreed!" everyone else shouted before they all burst out laughing and headed out of Central Park to Samantha's home for warmth, hot chocolate and a good amount of banter and jokes. After all, it wasn't every day that one of Casey Jones's crazy ideas **actually** worked out.

**Me: *walks in with grapejuice101* ****Hi everybody! How was Christmas at the Lair?**

**Mikey: It was AWESOME dudette! Donny and Samantha got caught under the mistletoe in front of _everybody_!**

**Don: Shut up, Mikey! And I know you planted it there on purpose!**

**Raph: Whatever! I'm just glad of all de eggnog and baked goods I got ta eat! By da way, thank bell-13-tmnt-lover for dose cookies! Dey were AWESOME!**

**Leo: How was _your _Christmas, Livangel16?**

**Me: Pretty good. Hung out with the family mostly. Tons of food.**

**Mikey: The best part of Christmas!**

**Grapejuice101: Only _you_ could say something like_ that_, Mikey!**

**Don: Another visiting fan I presume?**

**Grapejuice101: Yep. Grapejuice101's the screen name.**

**Raph: Grapejuice101? What kinda name is dat?!**

**Grapejuice101: It's _my_ screen name, buddy, and I like it! Whether you like it or not is of little consequence to me!**

**Leo: Wow! She's...bold.**

**Mikey: Spunky dudette! Awesome!**

**Don: She certainly can put Raph in his place rather quickly.**

**Me: She's also one of my many co-authors!**

**Leo: Really?**

**Me: Yeah. Because of her and other awesome people like her, this story has become the amazing tale that it is! I owe her and the others a lot.**

**Samantha: *walks in wearing red dress and stiletto heels* Hi everyone!**

**Grapejuice101: OMG! Samantha! *fangirl screams***

**Leo: This is new. Samantha gets a screaming fangirl instead of us.**

**Me: Don't hate. Appreciate. **

**Grapejuice101: I'm grapejuice101! I just wanna say: you are SUCH an awesome O/C! You seriously rock and Donny is the luckiest guy in the world to have you as his girlfriend!**

**Samantha: Thanks. Donny, we're supposed to be heading to the club right now to meet with April and Casey and the girls. Would you two girls like to join us? It's not a problem, trust me. And don't worry. The guys will be there to protect you from the drunken guys who wanna grind on anything that moves!**

**Me: Clubbing with the Turtles?! Awesome! Wanna go, grapejuice101?**

**Grapejuice101: Sure! Sounds like fun! *Me and her both run home and come back dressed in gorgeous clubbing dress and stiletto heels. The guys appear in human form and take us to an exclusive night club with Samantha, Olivia, Makayla, Tonya, April and Casey. Me and Grapejuice101 talk and dance mostly with Samantha and her girls. Grapejuice101 accepts a dance from both Mikey and Donatello. I dance with Leo with Tonya and Raph are practically inseperable. Casey and April are dancing in the shadows, but we all see them anyways.***

**Grapejuice101: That was SERIOUSLY the most fun I've ever had! You guys are all amazing O/Cs!**

**Olivia: Thanks Grapejuice101! *hugs grapejuice101 who hugs her back***

**Makayla: We should hang out again! *hugs grapejuice101***

**Tonya: Yeah. You seem pretty cool. *nods at grapejuice101***

**Grapejuice101: Thanks, Tonya! Well, I've gotta get going! Bye Livangel16! Bye Samantha! Bye girls! Bye guys!**

**Everyone: BYE! *grapejuice101 leaves***

**Me: You know, she's the one who created your sister Caroline, right Tonya?**

**Tonya: Say WHAT?!**

**Me: Yeah. It was totally her idea, and I ran with it! Cool huh?**

**Tonya: I'll say. And I thought that she was cool just 'cause she and Raph remained on the "friendly conversation" level.**

**Leo: So. When do we get to meet more of your "amazing co-authors"?**

**Me: You already met one of them. Aster Sapphire.**

**Mikey: Oh yeah! Didn't you and her have some sort of fight over Leo?**

**Don: Yeah! Samurai swords to the death! I remember that! How pointless! Did we even find out who won?**

**Raph: Nope.**

**Leo: Hey! Girls fighting over _me_ is NEVER pointless!**

**Makayla: Why not?!**

**Leo: Because...well...um...because...**

**Me: Oh! He's SO busted!**

**Raph: I think I'm gonna enjoy dis while it lasts!**

**Tonya: Don't think I don't watch _your_ visiting fans, Raph!**

**Raph: Relax. All of dem know I'm with ya and they think yer awesome! Quit worrying,Tonya. Unlike Fearless here, one girl's enough for me.**

**Don: Great! Turtle polygamy?! That's just...wrong!**

**Samantha: Yeah. But it's still quite an interesting concept.**

**Me: OK. Did I _seriously _create all of you? (except the Turtles and all characters belonging to Eastman and Laird)**

**Olivia: Looks like ya did, Livangel. But don't worry. I love you for it. *hugs me***

**Me: *smiles and hugs Olivia back* Aw! Ya gotta love it when your own O/Cs show you how much they care about you!**

**So, there's the fifty-sixth chapter of Not An Ordinary Girl, guys. Please review as you know how important it is to me! Next chapter and first update of 2013 will be coming soon! So, to all my readers and followers around the world, Happy New Year everyone! God bless you and hope to hear from you all in 2013 and beyond!**

**-Livangel16**


	57. Chapter 57

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Hello everyone! Happy New Year to everyone! Now, thank you SO MUCH to all of my reviewers: grapejuice101, Aster Sapphire, pokemonjkl, Kimmie98, IAmTheDragonEmpress, Leonardo's Adriene, flamedragon242, ZOMBIEASSASSINNINJA, lovefairytail007, mchap114, ninja-warrior101, IceColdFever, NeverMindSoGo and zrexheartz! You guys ROCK! I was hoping to see more reviews, but I guess everyone's off on their holiday vacations and what-not! So, because I have to finish a novel for a contest I'm entering on AND because I have school starting tomorrow, this will be a double update of the season 2 episodes "Rogue in the House: Parts 1 and 2"! Hope you enjoy them! On with the story! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Fifty-Seven

_Samantha was standing in the shadows, watching Leo and Karai circle one another. Raph and Master Splinter were nearby watching as well, surrounded by Foot Ninjas. The air was thick with tension and Samantha was desperate to jump in and save Leo. But something within her told her that she needed to let this play out without any interference from her. Swords glinted in the faint light as the two continued to circle. Finally, Leo sheathed his swords in their holders and stretched his arms wide. Samantha's jaw dropped as Karai came in for the attack. She was about to leap in when something again told her to hold back and, against her better judgment, she listened to it. _Just before the sword could touch Leo's head, she jolted upright in her bed, sheets clutched in her hands. Breathing hard, she didn't notice the glowing Amulet until she gazed in the mirror and saw the light reflecting off of the glass.

"A vision in my sleep," she realized, running a hand through her disheveled hair. "This means it's important. Whatever happens today, I can't let Karai anywhere near Leo. And she **won't** touch him. Not while I'm still the daughter of Bushido himself."

Swinging her legs out of bed, she got up and headed to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day ahead of her.

* * *

Samantha's hair was whipping back wildly in the wind as the five friends zoomed along on their new Shell Sleds. They were Donatello's latest inventions and he'd wanted them to try them out in the sewers. The silver craft glided as smoothly as its other brothers as the five friends raced them through the sewers.

"Donatello! I know I've said this before, but I seriously love you!" she shouted over the roar of the engines as the Shell Sleds cut through the sewer waters as easily as a knife through melted butter. Don smiled proudly, his cheeks turning red with a blush and a cheesy grin lighting up his face.

"Thanks Sam! I knew you'd like them!" he yelled back.

"Check **this** out!" Mikey shouted before shooting up the side of the sewer wall with his and then coming back down.

"Oh yeah?! Check **dis** out, Mikey!" Raph threw back as he opened up the throttle and zoomed ahead of everyone.

"What a hothead!" Leo sighed, shaking his head.

"Cut him some slack, Leo!" Samantha chided playfully. "And stop being so serious for once in your life and have some fun! Or is "fun" a foreign concept to you?"

"I can **so** have fun, Samantha!" Leo told her, smirking.

"Oh really?!" she challenged before she opened up the throttle and zoomed past him. "Race ya!"

"No fair! Cheater!" Leo shouted back as he laughed and zoomed after her. The two of them were racing neck and neck when they spotted Raph in the center of the tunnel, staring at something large and bulky in the shadows. Leo, Sam, Mikey and Don all skidded to a halt.

"Hey Raph! What's with the holdup?!" Mikey chuckled before he looked and saw the figure as well. "Whoa!" he breathed. The figure stumbled out into the light and Samantha gasped when she saw it. "A Triceraton?!"

"Umm...am I going crazy or is there a huge Triceraton standing right in front of us?" Samantha asked the others. The orange atmosphere suit was almost indistinguishable as well as the pointy horns and sharp teeth.

"You're not crazy, Sam," Don told her. "We're all seeing the same thing."

"A Triceraton? Here?" Leo said to the others as everyone leapt off their Shell Sleds and drew their weapons.

"You don't think it's an...invasion, do you?" Mikey asked the others. Just then, the Triceraton began growling and grunting, holding its head.

"I don't know Mikey," Samantha replied. "But it looks like something's wrong with him. He's holding his head."

"Maybe it's just a trick ta get us ta stand down, Princess," Raph suggested. "Dese guys ain't exactly da harmless type."

"Point taken, Raph," Samantha agreed, gripping the hilt of her wakizashi tighter in her hands.

"Enemy...sighted!" it shouted before rushing towards them. Samantha gritted her teeth and waited for it to attack them. But then, it rushed right past them and leapt onto Don's Shell Sled, beginning to viciously pound and pummel it. "Enemy engaged!"

"What the-?" Samantha began to ask, but then the Triceraton picked up the Sled and began smashing it harder and harder against the floor and with his fists.

"Federation robot!" it roared, continuing its rampage against Don's Shell Sled.

"Uh...what's up with that?" Mikey inquired.

"Proceed with extreme prejudice!" the Triceraton shouted, continuing to pound and pound the machine until it was reduced to a pounded hunk of scrap metal.

"I think I speak for everyone when I say, this is weird!" Samantha told the Turtles.

"No doubt," Leo seconded. Just then, the Triceraton began coughing and holding his throat as though he was unable to breathe. _Breathe?! _Samantha thought to herself as a light bulb came on in her head. _That's it!_

"Donny, check his helmet for cracks," Samantha said to her boyfriend. Don locked eyes with her and stared at her for a moment before the same conclusion dawned on him as well.

"Right," Don said and slowly began approaching the Triceraton.

"Donny! What're ya doin'?!" Raph demanded.

"Are you nuts, Sammy?!" Mikey added. "That thing will make Turtle linguini out of Donny if he gets close to it!"

"So what are we supposed to do? Let him suffocate?" Samantha shot back, hands on her hips. Leo, Mikey and Raph all looked confused.

"It's the air," Don explained. "His breather mask is cracked, and he's breathing our air and it's affecting his brain. The Triceraton home world has an atmosphere of nitrogen and sulfur, remember? Our oxygen must be making him delusional." Just then, the Triceraton stood up and approached them.

"Sirs! Trooper Zog! Serial number XJ4 reporting for duty, sirs!" Zog told them, saluting. After exchanging looks, Leo saluted back before he and Zog both dropped them.

"I think he thinks we're some sort of Triceraton officers," Raph informed them.

"What should we do?" Don inquired.

"Anything that might keep Big, Horned and Ugly from ripping us limb from limb!" Mikey responded nervously, stepping forward from his hiding place behind the others.

"I guess we'll just have to play along with it," Samantha told them. "Until we can find a way around this."

"Good call, Samantha," Leo agreed before walking forward towards Zog. "At ease, soldier! Situation report!"

"Leo! Ever the military commander!" Samantha chuckled as she crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head, smiling. Though she had to admit, it was pretty amazing how Leo could just automatically take charge. In fact, it was downright impressive.

"Must...complete...mission...Sir!" Zog gasped as he stood "at ease" and reported to Leo as the mutant Turtle continued pacing around him as if this was a military inspection.

"And what mission is that, soldier?" Leo asked in a commanding voice.

"He's certainly bossy enough to be a military general," Don whispered to the others who started snickering and chuckling behind their hands.

"Must...capture...Fugitoid!" Zog replied. "At all costs! My squad was pursuing...target...when we were caught in an energy beam. Transported to coordinates unfamiliar to us. Also engaged Federation forces also seeking Fugitoid. And in the heat of battle, became separated from my unit. Target not captured. Unable to reconnect with squad. And...lost weapon, Sir. Request permission to terminate self for disgraceful failure of mission, Sir."

"What?" Leo hissed before speaking directly to Zog. "No! Wait! I mean...the Fugitoid mission was a success! And you are to be...commended for your...uh...survival skills!"

"Nice save, General Hamato!" Samantha whispered, throwing him a smile. Leo smiled back, blushing slightly as Zog turned around with a satisfied, proud smile on his face.

"Yes...Sir! Thank you...Sir!" he gasped, the breather mask hissing every time he spoke. He began coughing and gasping more and more as he tried to breathe.

"I'm getting worried that he might pass out soon if we don't fix his mask," Samantha told the others.

"Samantha's right," Don seconded, searching his hovercraft for one of the parts. "This poor guy's breathing poison. Maybe I can rig up a temporary breather from one of my nitrogen fuel tanks on the Shell Sled."

"Hold on!" Raph countered. "Are you nutso?! If Hornhead gets a clear head, he might realize that **we're** da enemy and wipe us all out!"

"We can't just turn our backs on him when he needs help," Don argued as he finished creating the temporary breather. "That's just...wrong." Don went and approached the Triceraton, holding the breather mask he'd rigged up. "Here. Let me hook ya up, Big Guy." He fixed the mask into place over the Triceraton's helmet. "OK. I don't know how much this'll help, but you should breathe a little easier now."

"Sir! Thank you, Sir," Zog said, saluting Donatello by pounding his fist on his chest. He wasn't gasping or hacking as much which filled Samantha with some relief. She walked out from behind Raph and sheathed her _wakizashi_.

"My sons! Princess Bushido-san!" gasped a very familiar voice. Samantha whirled around and gasped in horror when she saw Master Splinter stagger into view, weakly supporting himself on his walking stick. "An intruder. In our Lair. I was attacked. You must...take me back. Defend our home. My sons. Princess..." He began swaying unsteadily and then his walking stick fell.

"Sensei!" Samantha shouted, catching him before he fell into the water. He felt different to Samantha. Colder, heavier somehow. And she was getting an aura from him that wasn't the same one she usually felt. Something was wrong.

"Master Splinter!"

"Sensei!" The Turtles hurried over and Don and Leo took over holding Master Splinter between them.

"He's hurt pretty bad," Don told them. "He's barely breathing. And he's..._cold._"

"What do we do?" Mikey asked in panic.

"We're gonna do what we're told!" Leo answered in a firm voice. But Samantha heard the anger that tinged it, and she wasn't surprised. Master Splinter and Leonardo were pretty close, and she knew how much Sensei meant to him. Hell, she was pretty pissed herself. But there was something about all this that just didn't seem right. "We're gonna go back to the Lair and..."

"And I'm gonna kick da shell outta whoever did dis ta Master Splinter!" Raph growled, socking his fist into his hand before he and Samantha both leapt onto their Shell Sleds.

"What about him?" Mikey inquired, hurrying over beside Zog. "We can't just leave him here."

"Never thought I'd say this, but Mikey's right," Samantha agreed.

"Then bring him!" Leo told him urgently, holding Master Splinter against his plastron. "But let's go!" Samantha heard the anxiousness and worry in his tone and immediately put a hand on his shoulder.

"He's going to be fine, Leo," Samantha told him, smiling encouragingly. "We'll get him back to the Lair and then put the smackdown on the punk who dared to mess with our father!"

"**Our** father?" Leo repeated, looking at Samantha.

"Well, c'mon," Samantha said, rolling her eyes playfully and smirking. "Did you really think that I could become family to all of you and not think of Master Splinter as like a second father to me?"

"Thanks Samantha."

"Anytime." She leaned in and kissed his forehead.

"Do you often kiss your brothers? Especially with your ninja boyfriend only about three feet away?"

"Don't get any cocky ideas in that ninja brain of yours, Leo! Besides, I'm not that kind of girl. And I could never betray Makayla like that!"

"I know, Samantha! I'm just teasing you!"

"Can we go already?!" Raph demanded. Leo and Sam glanced at one another and then nodded.

"Mikey!" Leo shouted. "We're outta here!"

"Soldier! Follow us!" Mikey ordered, pointing in the direction of the Shell Sleds.

"Yes Sir!" Zog replied, saluting Mikey.

"Let's roll!" Samantha shouted, revving her engines before zooming ahead with Leo and the injured Master Splinter right on her tail, followed closely by Raph and Don, and then Mikey with Zog bringing up the rear. Samantha and Leo were now zooming beside one another, eyes focused on the tunnel ahead of them when a familiar figure came into focus in their headlights. The figure held up a paw.

"Hold it!" Samantha shouted, swerving her Sled to the side and skidding to a halt.

"Huh?" Leo asked, looking confused. "Master Splinter?" Everyone leapt off of their Shell Sleds and surrounded the second Master Splinter. All except for Leo who was still holding the first one in his arms.

"Put him down! Now!" the second Master Splinter commanded in a firm tone.

"Master Splinter?! What is this?! What's going on?!" Leo demanded, looking down at the rat in his arms.

"**That** is what attacked me," Master Splinter gasped. "Destroy it!"

"No my sons!" the second Master Splinter told them. "**He** is the imposter! Please! You must believe me! Put him down now!"

"Say what?" Mikey asked, looking between the two Master Splinters. Samantha turned and locked eyes with the second Master Splinter. She could feel only a little bit of his aura, but it was warm and friendly, not like the other one. But there was only one way to be sure. Slowly, she approached him, her hand outstretched.

"What are ya doing, Princess?!" Raph demanded as she continued towards the second Master Splinter.

"It's OK, guys," Samantha assured them, reaching her hand out towards Master Splinter. "I know what I'm doing. Master Splinter, take my hand. Please." The rat nodded and grasped her hand with his paw. She felt warmth radiating from him, and now, the full strength of his aura hit her with such a power that a bright light flashed before her eyes and she saw the other Master Splinter attacking Mikey. Then, the light vanished and she clutched her head as she stumbled a little.

"Are you alright, Princess Bushido-san?" Master Splinter asked, keeping a steady grip on her.

"I am Sensei," she answered, regaining her balance and focus swiftly. Then, she turned to Leonardo. "Leo! Drop him! Now!"

"What the-?" Leo began to ask, but by then, the other Master Splinter had kicked Don and Raph down before turning on Leo and kicking him hard into the wall. Mikey took out his nunchucks and was about to go up against the other Master Splinter when Sensei came flying in and took on his double himself. Samantha and the others watched as the two Splinters battled it out. The Splinter with the red eyes kicked the walking stick out of Sensei's hand and then kicking him hard into the brick wall of the tunnel.

"We've got to help him!" Leo shouted as everyone drew their weapons.

"Yeah! But which "him"?" Raph asked, staring as the two Splinters circled one another. Just then, the other Master Splinter seemed to grow stronger as he threw a punch that put a hole in the wall near where Sensei was standing. Then, he took out Sensei with a hard kick that sent him flying hard backwards.

"Master Splinter!" Don yelled.

"That's it!" Samantha growled, gripping the hilt of her _wakizashi_ tighter. "Now **this** just got personal!" The other Splinter came flying in for an attack. He took out everyone else before facing off with Samantha. He managed to blow by her attacks before kicking her sword out of her hands and kicking her into the tunnel wall. Then, his paw was around her throat, and he lifted her off the ground.

"Samantha! No!" Don shouted, coming back in with another attack, but the other Splinter simply kicked him away while he was still in the air.

"We've gotta get him away from her!" Leo shouted.

"Yo! Maybe it's time ta send in da reinforcements!" Raph suggested, grinning slightly. Leo looked confused but then looked up at Zog, who was watching the entire thing.

"Soldier! Engage the enemy!" Leo commanded, pointing at the other Master Splinter, who was beginning to tighten his chokehold on Sam.

"Sir, yes Sir!" Zog answered, saluting before rushing into battle. "For the Republic!" The punch caught the other Master Splinter in the jaw, sending him flying into the tunnel wall and, more importantly, instantly released his death grip on Samantha, who fell to the ground, coughing and holding her neck.

"Samantha! Are you OK?!" Leo asked as he and Don hurried over to her and helped her, each of them supporting her.

"I...I think...so," she gasped, massaging her throat and taking deep gasps of air. "Thanks."

"Don't thank us," Don told her. "Thank Zog." They watched as the robotic Splinter and Zog battled it out. Zog grabbed the robot Splinter, lifting him above his head before tearing him apart, throwing him back down in the water to short-circuit. He was about to pummel him into metal shavings when Leo intervened.

"No! Stand down, soldier!" Leo told him, holding him back and giving him the thumbs-up. "Mission accomplished." He looked down at the robot Splinter. "Definitely accomplished."

"What **I** wanna know is where did Robo Splinter come from?" Raph demanded. "And who sent it?!"

"It does not matter!" Master Splinter growled, standing up and angrily brandishing his walking stick. "Whoever they are, I will not stand by and allow them to use my image to attack my family! **We must strike back immediately!**"

"Whoa! Never seen him so steamed!" Raph whispered to Leo and Samantha, who both looked shocked at Master Splinter's short fuse. "I'm kinda enjoying it actually!"

"Hey look!" Don shouted, pulling something free from the mangled remains of Robo Splinter. "A remote control module! If this Splinter was remote-controlled, we can trace the signal! You guys stay with the robot! I need some equipment from my lab!" Don leapt onto his Shell Sled and zoomed off towards the Lair.

"I still wanna know who'd do something like dis," Raph growled under his breath.

"Isn't it obvious? This has the Foot written all over it!" Samantha growled, crossing her arms over her chest. Leo's head immediately snapped up.

"What makes you say that, Sammy?" Mikey questioned.

"Who else knows Master Splinter's fighting style enough to copy it?!" she reminded them. "Who else would know that we'd take the bait if a robot was disguised as Sensei? Who else has the technology to do this?! And who's hated us from day one and wants all dead?!"

"We don't know that it's the Foot for sure, Samantha," Leo told her firmly. "It could've been anyone. We've ticked off a lot of bad guys in this city."

"Do you **really** think those brain-dead mobsters or those idiot street thugs could've dreamed up something like this?!" Sam demanded, throwing her hands up. She saw the look on his face and almost went completely ballistic. "**Why are you so desperate to protect her**?! I **told** you she wouldn't keep her word, and you didn't believe me!"

"She's an ally, Samantha! I trust her!" Leo argued, facing off with her. "We don't have proof that the Foot did this, so I'm not rushing into judgment like you are!"

"I'm basing this off of **fact**, Leo! Not fiction and blindness!"

"More like you're basing this off of prejudice and hatred!"

"Oh for Bushido's sake, Leonardo! You really think you know who you're dealing with! But in reality, you...!"

"Enough!" Master Splinter shouted, ending the argument right there and then. "We will consider all of the most likely suspects based on their capabilities. But we shall also not pass judgment until we have enough evidence to draw conclusions. Agreed?"

"Yes, Sensei," Leo and Samantha said, avoiding eye contact with each other.

"Man! This is the first time I've ever seen Leo and Sam fight like this," Mikey whispered to Raph. "Usually, the two of them are cool as ice."

"Until Karai came into town and started stirring da pot," Raph reminded him. Just then, Don returned with a small device in his hand. Everyone hopped onto their Shell Sleds as Don placed the remote control module beside it.

"Voila! A direction finder!" Don told them. "Which seems to be pointing...that way!" Don zoomed off in the direction the device was pointing to, Samantha and the others hot on his heels on their Shell Sleds.

* * *

_Foot Headquarters on the Barge_

"Master. It appears as though the Splinter Foot Mech has gone dark," Hun explained as the Shredder, dressed in his full battle armor, walked towards a table. "The last signal indicates that the Turtles and the Bushido girl had found the remote control module and may have discovered our presence."

"Good. Let them come! If they are foolish enough to try!" the Shredder growled. "It will give me great pleasure to **squeeze** the life out of them with my own hands**!**" He sliced the table with his claw, leaving it a mangled mess of wood on the floor. "And once the Amulet of Bushido is within my grasp, no one shall be able to stop my conquest! **No one**!" He laughed evilly as he thought of the revenge he would have on not only the Utroms but also the entire universe itself.

* * *

"You alright, Samantha?" Don inquired as she easily caught up with him and raced by his side. "You seem a little...angry."

"It's nothing, Don," she told him, dismissing it with a wave of her hand. "Leo and I just had a stupid fight about who could've sent Robo Splinter. He doesn't want to believe that Karai and the Foot are behind it."

"But you're dead convinced that they did it," Don finished. Samantha nodded.

"Well...we'll find out soon enough," Don said as the tracker continued to beep. They were at the docks and got off their Shell Sleds. They hurried into the shadows and Samantha spied a large freighter ship at the docks being loaded up with crates. She gritted her teeth when she and the others spotted the symbol on the hull of the ship.

"This is it," Don informed them, looking at the tracker once more. "The signals are coming from inside that freighter."

"So den da Princess was right! It **was **da Foot dat sicked dat Splinter robot on us!" Raph growled, clenching his fist.

"But...Karai leads the Foot now," Leo reminded them. "And she gave us her word that the Foot would leave us alone."

"I am sorry my son," Master Splinter told him, shaking his head. "But in this case, we must believe what we see."

"Well...aren't you gonna say "I told you so", Sammy?" Mikey prodded, looking between her and Leo.

"Why would I do that?" Samantha asked, looking at Leo and feeling pretty damn sorry for him, even though she'd known that something like this would happen when Karai took over the Foot. "He looks miserable enough already. I don't want to make it worse."

"Really?" Leo and Raph questioned at the same time.

"Really," she responded, giving an eye-roll to Raph. "And Karai is **seriously** gonna pay for this! **No one** messes with my dad's image! **Especially** **not her**!"

"Damn! She's kinda cute when she's all angry and fiery," Raph whispered to Leo, who was watching her hard eyes staring relentlessly at the Foot's freighter. "Ain't she, Fearless?"

"Yeah," he answered, smiling slightly. "She...wait, what?!" Leo demanded, rounding on Raph, who was smirking. He blew out a frustrated sigh. "If we weren't in such a precarious situation Raph, I'd kick your shell here and now for that little stunt!"

"Uh, guys? Can we focus please? Because something tells me we're going to be really, **really** outnumbered," Don observed as he and the others spotted numerous Foot Ninjas carrying boxes and crates.

"What we need is something ta help us even de odds," Raph told them.

"Everyone. Meet Zog, the Equalizer!" Mikey whispered as Zog slipped in behind Mikey. Samantha smiled and then all seven of them hurried forward. Don put on his headset.

"OK. Here's the plan: we'll scout out the ship and see what we're up against," Leo explained as passed out headsets to his other brothers and Samantha.

"Ready for action, sirs!" Zog declared, standing at attention and saluting. But his salute hit one of the boxes and Leo and Samantha dashed forward and caught it before it hit the ground and gave away their position.

"Quiet soldier! This is the reconnaissance part of the mission!" Leo told him. "We need **stealth**!"

"Sorry Sir!" Zog whispered, saluting again. "But stealth is not one of my...strong points."

"No duh," Raph observed.

"We obviously can't take him in there for reconnaissance," Leo informed the others. "Mikey. You stay here and watch Zog. Don, you and Samantha stay here and watch Mikey."

"Hey!" Mikey protested.

"Be ready to move!" Leo told them. "We'll contact you as soon as we know what the Foot are up to!"

"Be careful!" Samantha said to Leo. He smiled.

"Always am," he shot back, winking at her before he, Raph and Master Splinter hurried off onto the freighter.

"Don! Can you hear me?!" Leo asked.

"Loud and clear," Don answered.

"OK. Here's the plan: we need to blow this ship sky-high," Leo explained. "To do that, we'll have to get it out to open waters away from the city. Raph, Master Splinter and I will take the bridge and get this ship moving. Mikey, you and Zog cast off the mooring lines and then meet us on the bridge. Don, can you and Samantha sink it?"

"You insult my intelligence, Leonardo," she chuckled.

"Hey. If we can't sink a floating Foot lab that's sitting on top of thousands of gallons of diesel fuel, I might as well hang up my tool belt," Don told him. "Let's go, Sam." She nodded and the two of them raced towards the ship.

"Mikey! Come in! Mikey! Come in!" Leo shouted. Just then, Samantha heard the sound of fighting coming through her headset at almost all ends.

"Donny! The others are in trouble!" she told him as they slid onto the ship. "We've gotta help them!"

"They're counting on us to reach the engine room, Samantha," Don reminded her. "And right now, we can't afford to get sidetracked."

"I know, I know," she replied, but she couldn't shake the worried look from her face. "But I..." Don cut her off with a sweet, reassuring kiss.

"They'll be alright, Samantha. Trust me. I'm a genius, remember? When have I been wrong about something?"

_Even geniuses make mistakes, Donatello,_ she thought to herself as they hid in the shadows and made their way to the door that would lead to the engine room. _Let's just hope this one we're making isn't a big one!_

**Me: *walks in with CowabungaChick* Hiddy ho Turtles! Happy 2013!**

**Mikey: Happy New Year, Livangel16! *blows noisemaker and throws confetti on Me and CowabungaChick* And ya brought a friend with you! Hey guys! There's another visiting fan here!**

**Raph: Hey. I'm Raph. And you are?**

**CowabungaChick: My penname's CowabungaChick, but you can call me Liz if you want, Raph.**

**Leo: Hey Liz. I'm Leonardo. You can call me Leo.**

**CowabunaChick: Nice to meet you too, Leo. But I think I'd better keep my distance from you. Makayla's an awesome girl, and besides, I don't want her to kick your shell again!**

**Raph: Yer girlfriend did _what_?!**

**Leo: You don't wanna know. But having a girlfriend who knows judo can be dangerous to your health!**

**Mikey: In other words, Leo got his shell shellacked hard by the woman he loves!**

**Me: Ouch! That was probably worse than Tatiana's punch!**

**CowabungaChick: Who?**

**Don: It's a long story. Hey CowabungaChick. I'm...**

**CowabungaChick: OH...MY...GOD! DONATELLO! *fangirl screams and tackles Don to the ground with a hug***

**Mikey: Donny's getting the first fan visit of 2013?! Unfair much!**

**Me: *helps CowabungaChick up off of Don* **

**CowabungaChick: I love all of you guys Mikey! But...Donny's always been my favorite!**

**Donny: WOO-HOO! I got the FIRST visiting fan of 2013! *does happy dance* So, what do you wanna do first?**

**CowabungaChick: Hmmm...well, there's a theory that I've been wanting to test out for a while now. It's for a science project at school. Think you can help me?**

**Donny: Is the atomic mass of uranium 238?**

**CowabungaChick: If you're talking about Uranium-238, then sure. Otherwise, your statement could be considered invalid.**

**Me: Whoa! Back away everyone! We've got brainiacs in the building!**

**Mikey: Oh great! Nerd talk! I think my brain's about to barf! *Raph slaps Mikey in the head***

**Raph:There! Feel any better?!**

**Leo: Raphael!**

**Donny: Ummm...I think we should go to my lab, CowabungaChick. We can work in private there.**

**CowabungaChick: Sure. *goes with Donatello into his lab. Donny and CowabungaChick begin working on CowabungaChick's theory of another uranium isotope in existence with an atomic mass of 240. Work for hours and finally are able to find, isolate, stabilize and document the sample fully. Take off protective gear and come out of the lab, CowabungaChick holding a file with her research with Donny***

**Me: So, how'd the project go?**

**CowabungaChick: Thanks to Donny, I think I'm going to get an A+ on it! Heck, I might even get an offer to work for NASA! Well, I'm gonna go and turn this project in. Thank you so much for the help, Donatello. I REALLY appreciate it! *kisses Donny on the cheek. He blushes and grins***

**Raph: Better hope Samantha don't kick yer shell like Mac kicked Leo's, Donny! 'Cause a ninja's butt-kicking is about ten times ten times worse than a judo fighter!**

**CowabungaChick: Oh, I'd NEVER do that to Sammy! She's amazing! Say hi to her for me, Donatello!**

**Donny: I will. I hope you come back again, CowabungaChick.**

**Mikey: Yeah! And next time, you can kick it with the Mikester!**

**CowabungaChick: Sounds like a plan, Mikey! Well, bye guys! **

**Everyone: Bye CowabungaChick!**

**CowabungaChick: *waves to everyone and then leaves***

**Leo: NASA?! Donny! What'd you do?**

**Donny: I just tweaked her project a little, Leo! Nothing major!**

**Mikey: *turns on the TV and sees CowabungaChick on it receiving an award* Nothing major, huh Einstein?! Check this out!**

**News Anchor: And in other news, a local teenager named Liz, who is also known as CowabungaChick on the website known as FanFiction, is receiving an award for discovering a new form of a uranium isotope stable enough to be studied and documented. Her research is being presented at the Smithsonian Institute and it is even rumored that the head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration will be attending the gala dinner to approach Miss Liz about working in partnership with his organization.**

**Raph: Da Smithsonian Institute?!**

**Leo: Partnership with NASA?!**

**Mikey: Gala dinner?! And she couldn't even have invited us?!**

**Raph: If she had, every scientist in dat room would be trying ta dissect us! Not ta mention we'd be seen as a major threat to national security!**

**Mikey: Ya mean, like terrorists?**

**Leo: Worse than terrorists. You'd have black helicopters swarming the country and everyone strip-searched to make sure they're not a mutant ninja turtle in disguise.**

**Me: Umm...I thought _Mikey_ was supposed to be the one suffering from extreme paranoia here!**

**Donny: Wow. I knew I was good, but not _that_ good.**

**Me: Guess even geniuses can be surprised as well as make mistakes. So, when is it my turn to become famous?**

**Leo: Good things come to those who wait.**

**Raph: So speaketh Leo the Prophet.**

**Don: Actually, it's an English proverb that dates back to...**

**Mikey: That's it! My brain needs a vomit bag 'cause it's about to hurl from all this nerd talk!**

**Don: Some people just don't appreciate great works of genius!**

**Me: Tell me about it!**

**Next chapter is on the way!**


	58. Chapter 58

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Hello everyone! Happy New Year to everyone! Now, thank you SO MUCH to all of my reviewers: grapejuice101, Aster Sapphire, pokemonjkl, Kimmie98, IAmTheDragonEmpress, Leonardo's Adriene, flamedragon242, ZOMBIEASSASSINNINJA, lovefairytail007, mchap114, ninja-warrior101, IceColdFever, NeverMindSoGo and zrexheartz! You guys ROCK! I was hoping to see more reviews, but I guess everyone's off on their holiday vacations and what-not! So, because I have to finish a novel for a contest I'm entering on AND because I have school starting tomorrow, this will be a double update of the season 2 episodes "Rogue in the House: Parts 1 and 2"! Hope you enjoy them! On with the story! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Fifty-Eight

"We're in," Don said as he opened the door and he and Samantha slipped inside. The engine room was massive with large turbines and other large machines inside it. It was all very fascinating, but Samantha remembered that Leo and the others were in danger. Leaping down some of the steps, she and Don stopped in front of a panel.

"This looks like it'll do the trick," Samantha told him, opening it up. "All we have to rewire them somehow to create a combustion powerful enough to destroy even the sophisticated and durable of their lab equipment."

"**You** are an amazing woman, Samantha Tiffany Bushido," Don chuckled as he began rewiring the panel.

"Donny! What's the 4-1-1?!" Leo demanded.

"We've made it to the engine room," Don informed him through his headset. "I'm about to do some creative re-wiring."

"Leo! Don's got things covered on this end! I'm coming to help you guys!" Samantha told him through her headset.

"No, Samantha!" Leo growled as he parried another blow from the Elite Ninjas' weapons. "Stay with Donny! We'll be fine!"

"Hope those don't turn out to be famous last words, Leo," she said to him. Just then, a rumbling noise came from above her and she saw the engines beginning to turn and spin. The ship was moving out to sea just like they'd planned.

"Looks like we're getting underway," Don observed. Just then, the ship jerked hard, sending Samantha and Donatello falling to their feet.

"Mikey! The ship's still moored to the dock! What's happening?!" Leo demanded.

"Sorry Leo!" Mikey apologized. "But we kinda ran into some "old friends"!"

"Cast off and then you and Zog get up here to the bridge!" Leo ordered.

"Geez, Leo! You can be really bossy and annoying sometimes!" Samantha muttered.

"I heard that, Samantha!" Leo told her.

"Good. I wanted you to," she told him. "Now, stop talking to me and kick some serious Foot Ninja ass!"

"Yes Ma'am!" Leo chuckled. She turned back to Don, who was almost finished rewiring the ship.

"Would you like to do the honors, Samantha?" he asked, holding out the final wire to her. She smiled and took it from him, reconnecting it and smiling.

"Finished," she declared, dusting off her hands. Don quickly set his watch.

"In half an hour, this floating hulk is gonna be lit up like the Fourth of July," Don said aloud, watching as the seconds ticked by.

"Awesome work as usual, Donny," she told him, standing to her feet and helping him up. "Now let's blow this popsicle stand before **it** blows!"

"Right," he agreed. "Time to get the others." They rounded the corner of the machine and immediately stopped when they found they were surrounded by heavily-armed Foot Ninjas.

"Aw, damn it!" Samantha groaned.

"Or...maybe not," Don said as he took in their opponents.

"Leo! We're in trouble!" Mikey shouted through his headset.

"You think you're the only one?!" Samantha asked through hers as she and Don drew their weapons.

"Guys! We've got a problem!" Don told them. "As in a major, ninja problem!"

"Tell me about it," Leo told them.

"Hun! If you hurt one hair on Master Splinter's body, yer gonna wish you'd never been born!" Raph growled.

"Hun's got Splinter!" Samantha shouted to Don as she and he dodged attacks from the Foot Ninjas. "Raph, tell that gorilla that anyhow he harms Splinter, I'm gonna put him in his grave!"

"Drop your weapons before the rat gets exterminated!" Hun commanded.

"Don't do it!" Samantha yelled.

"Do not drop your weapons, my sons," Master Splinter told them.

"Master Splinter, Sam...I'm sorry," Leo said and then Samantha heard the clanging of metal against the floor. They'd dropped their weapons. Now, Samantha was pissed off. And these Foot Ninjas were about to experience her wrath.

"Can you tell us where the Captain's table is?" Don asked them. Silence as the Foot Ninjas only held up their weapons, prepared to fight.

"No? Then I guess we'll just have to **beat** it out of you!" Samantha growled before she and Donny leapt in and began attacking them left and right like twin whirlwinds. One of the ninjas sliced into a portion of the ship, causing steam to erupt from it and create the perfect camouflage for Don and Samantha to kick butt. Then, once the steam cleared, the Foot Ninjas lay groaning on the ground, defeated.

"Don't bother getting up," Don told them, sheathing his bo staff. "We'll find our own way out."

"Donny. I've got to get to Leo, Raph and Master Splinter," she told him. "If I don't, one of my Amulet visions may come true."

"Do it! I'll meet you there!" Don told her. Then, he kissed her cheek. "But be careful, Samantha!" She nodded and watched as he raced off to where his brothers and father were being held captive. She held up her Amulet and focused on where the three were being held and appearing in a shadowed place where no one would see her. Then, there was a flash of light, and she vanished.

* * *

Leo, Raph and Master Splinter were surrounded by the Foot Elite and Hun, bound and kneeling on the floor. Samantha materialized with little light and landed softly on top of a stack of crates, hidden out of sight. She growled when she heard the door open and saw Karai appear, locking it shut behind her. _You sorry, traitorous bitch!_ she thought to herself. She wanted to jump out of hiding and pummel her into the ground for betraying the Turtles; for betraying **Leo**. But a voice inside of her told her to keep still, watch and wait for the right moment to strike.

"Hey Leo. It's yer buddy," Raph told him, nudging him with his shoulder.

"Leonardo, I...I wish you had never come here," she told him. "For now, it has fallen upon me to slay all of you."

"So much for your word of **honor**!" Leo scoffed, glaring at her. At that moment, Samantha felt a bit sorry for Karai. She was trapped between a rock and a hard place, and she wanted to keep her word. She truly did. But still, she served the Shredder (who was probably still alive and had given her the order to kill them all) and she had made her choice regarding the fate of her father's ninja academy.

"I...I am sorry," she told him again, not wanting to meet his eyes. "But I **must** follow my master's orders." She drew her katana from her scabbard, the deadly blade glinting in the light.

"You traitorous, little bitch!" Samantha muttered to herself, reaching back for her own sword. No way in **Hell** was Karai gonna kill her Protector and her best friend's boyfriend.

"Face it, bro!" Raph growled. "She's no better dan da Shredder!"

"I should've known better than to trust **you**, Karai!" Leo snapped. "Samantha tried to warn me of the danger, but I wouldn't listen to her! She was right, and I was wrong!" Karai raised the sword back and above her head, ready to strike. Samantha drew her own sword and was ready to intervene when a voice stopped her. And it wasn't the one inside her head.

"Wait!" Hun shouted. "Let's make this a little more..._interesting_." He cut Leo free with his own katanas before stepping back and tossing them into the air. "Show us what you've got, Sword Boy!" Leo looked up and then caught his katanas with the style and grace of a ninja, making Samantha smile. Hun didn't know what he was doing giving Leo back his swords. That is, until she heard the next words out of his mouth.

"Take her out, and I just **might** let the rat live," he finished, chuckling slightly. Samantha could sense that Hun had never really liked Karai and would be glad for someone else to take her out, someone else to bear the brunt of the Shredder's wrath for the slaying of his adoptive daughter and the head of the Foot Clan in Japan.

And that someone, if he succeeded, would be Leo.

"You sly bastard!" she growled softly as she watched the two ninjas face each other. "I'm gonna make sure you get your butt kicked for that **and** threatening Master Splinter!"

"I can't let you do the Shredder's dirty work without a fight, Karai!" Leo told her as she drew her other sword and the two of them faced off.

"I am honor-bound to serve him!" Karai reminded him as the two began to circle each other. _Well, the vision's starting to unfold now,_ Samantha observed. Then, the two of them began to fight. Swords clashed as metal clanged against metal as the two sparred fiercely.

"If you serve the Shredder, then you have no honor!" Leo shouted as he backflipped away from one of her attacks.

"You are wrong!" she yelled as they began to fight once more.

"I was taught that honor, Bushido, means everything to a **true** warrior!" Leo growled as he dodged her blows and attacks. Then, he kicked her hard, sending her flying backwards, one of her swords flying out of her hand. "I was raised by that code. Can you do that? Can you live with honor?" Twirling his sword, he sheathed them in their holders, his arms outstretched. "Show me. Here's your chance."

He was making himself vulnerable.

"Leo, are you nuts?!" Samantha hissed softly, smacking a hand to her head. "Get your swords back out and fight her! She'll kill you! You can't trust her!" She drew her sword and was ready to leap into action when a voice inside told her to wait. Just like in the vision. She wanted to disobey it, but her heart told her that she should listen to it, that the voice was not evil and would do her no harm. Flying in for an attack, Samantha gasped but stood her ground as she watched Karai's sword come down, but it stopped a breadth away from Leo's head. And there it stayed.

"Maybe she** does** have a sense of honor after all," Samantha muttered. "Maybe...maybe she isn't as heartless and evil as I thought she was." Just then, she heard light, sarcastic clapping and saw that it was Hun, chuckling.

"So, the Shredder's little pet doesn't have the guts to do her job," Hun observed, stepping forward and socking his fist into his hand. Karai shifted and Hun approached Leo, an evil smile on his face, a smile that told Samantha it was go-time. "Move over girlie and watch how things get done New York Style!"

"Then how about a little cross-cultural exchange?!" Samantha shouted as she leapt through the air and landed an eagle's strike attack that knocked Hun square in the face and sent him stumbling backwards. "Of blows that is!" Doing a backflip and landing in front of Leo with her sword drawn defensively, Samantha narrowed her eyes at Karai, who watched her intently before Samantha sheathed her sword, turned away from her and produced two, throwing knives from her belt.

"Raph! Sensei! Heads down!" she shouted as she tossed them hard and fast, catching the two Elites completely by surprise and pinning them to the cargo. Running hard and fast, she dodged the other Elite Ninjas' attacks and leapt over the heads of Raph and Master Splinter before taking out her _wakizashi_ and slicing them free.

"What took ya so long, Princess?!" Raph demanded as he seized his sais and Master his walking stick. Samantha turned and parried a blow from the Elite with the pronged spear.

"I was...kinda...busy!" she gritted out before punching the Elite in the face and landing a dragon kick that sent the Elite with the axe flying backwards into the cargo. "Besides, you wouldn't **believe ** how hard it is to find a decent, shadowed hiding spot on a Foot freighter!"

"Princess!" Karai shouted. Samantha whipped around and saw Hun backing Leo into a corner. She turned, nodded at the ninja and was running hard and fast before leaping into the air and kicking Hum hard in the side, throwing him off-balance for a moment.

"You want him? You go through **me**, street punk!" Samantha snarled, holding her _wakizashi_ tightly in her hands and putting herself between Leo and Hun.

"Fine! But trust me, girlie: this is gonna hurt **you** a lot more than it hurts **me**!" Hun chuckled evilly as he raised his fist. Samantha was ready to fight, but just then, a loud pounding on the door revealed Zog as he burst in and took Hun out with a vicious uppercut punch.

"Looks like that hurt **you** more than it did **me**, Thug Brain!" Samantha threw back, smirking.

"Have no fear! Michelangelo's here!" Mikey shouted before taking out the two Elites with the axe and the pronged spear.

"Mikey!" Leo shouted happily. Just then, another turtle leapt in through the bridge's broken control room windows and took out the Elite ninja with the double-bladed spear. "Donny!"

"It's a family reunion, Leo!" Samantha chuckled, brandishing her _wakizashi_, the light of battle in her eyes. "What do ya say we join in?!"

"You just read my mind, Samantha," Leo laughed, whipping out his own katanas, and the two of them leapt into the fray with the others. Raph managed to pin one of the Elite with his sais while Donny knocked him out. And after watching Zog take out Hun, both Leo and Sam turned to Karai, all three with swords drawn.

"Your choice, Karai!" Samantha growled. "Either let us pass or fight us here and now!" Karai narrowed her eyes at the ninja princess, then at Leonardo, before she let the swords drop to her sides. Samantha was slightly surprised, but after seeing how she couldn't kill Leo, she was starting to think that maybe there was more to Karai than she'd seen all those years ago in Japan.

"I have failed my master," she told them.

"It is alright," Master Splinter informed her in his wise tone. "You could not do your duty because it went against you honor." Karai looked up at Leo, who smiled encouragingly at her. Samantha felt like rolling her eyes, but she didn't want to be disrespectful.

"And there is another thing that my honor is telling me to do," Karai said as she turned to Samantha. "Princess Bushido-san, I seek your forgiveness and your trust... as an ally. I know I do not deserve it."

"Got **dat** right," Raph muttered, earning a smack in the head from Master Splinter's walking stick. "OW! Sensei! What da-?!"

"Quiet, Raphael!" Master Splinter scolded him. "Let Princess Bushido-san and Karai speak without any unnecessary comments or interruptions."

"You have caused me and my family much pain and suffering, Karai," Samantha said to her, staring her dead in the eyes. "But...you have shown that you have honor, and... as my wise Sensei once told me, I cannot be a **true** Bushido warrior if I carry hatred in my heart." She paused and then continued. "Leonardo is not only my Protector, but he is also one of the best judges of character I know." Leo blushed a little when she said that. "And... if he can trust you, then I suppose I can trust you as well... ally." She put her hand forward and Karai, after staring down for a moment at it , finally took it and shook hands with Samantha firmly. "And yes. I forgive you for what you did to my family. But I will not forget, Karai."

"I didn't expect you to, Princess Bushido-san," Karai replied as they finally let go and stepped back from one another. Leo placed a gentle hand on Sam's shoulder, causing her to turn. He was about to say something when Don glanced at his watch and gasped.

"Guys! We've got about five minutes before this ship buys a one-way ticket to the bottom of the ocean!" Don shouted.

"Time to go!" Mikey yelled. "Zog! We're moving out!" Leo, Master Splinter and the others ran towards the door.

"Sir yes Sir!" Zog replied, saluting and following them out. Samantha purposely stayed behind and looked at Karai.

"This is a friendly warning, Karai!" Samantha growled. "If you do **anything** to hurt Leonardo, his brothers, or their father, the alliance we have right now gets shot and you get your ninja ass whooped back to Japan, sister. Are we clear?!"

"Yes," she answered, nodding. "You defend Leonardo fiercely, Princess. Especially in my presence. May I ask why?"

"He's like the older brother I never got to have, and I'm gonna watch his back and keep him safe." _For both the sake of my best friend and my own_, she finished in her head.

Karai smirked. "I believe there is another reason. A reason you will not admit to your Sensei, to Leonardo; not even to yourself." Samantha opened her mouth to protest, to argue or counter with something that would wipe the smirk off of her face, but she couldn't deny that Karai was partially right. But she wasn't gonna admit that.

"Samantha! We've gotta get out of here!" Leo shouted from the stairs. "Let's go!"

"Believe what you want, lady!" Samantha snapped, turning on her heel and marching towards the doors, but then she turned back to Karai. "And by the way, Leo has a girlfriend, who's also my best friend. So save your snake-charming tricks for some other poor sucker and back off him! I won't warn you again! And neither will she!" With that, she ran out the door and hurried down the stairs after the others.

"What took ya so long, Princess?!" Raph demanded. The entire group was waiting for her at the foot of the stairs.

"Just wanted to clear up some of the...agreements of my alliance with Karai," Samantha told them. Leo opened his mouth to say something, but one look from Sam shut him up, the look saying that they'd talk later.

"C'mon!" Don urged them, taking Samantha's hand and pulling her alongside him with the others close behind. "We've got to...!" Then, he stopped short when he saw the figure blocking the path in front of them.

"Ah, damn it all to Hell!" Samantha growled.

"Well, well, well," the Shredder chuckled. "Quite a menagerie! A rat, four Turtles, a human girl, and...a Triceraton if I'm not mistaken!"

"Shredder! I guess we should've known we'd meet again!" Leo growled, clenching his fists as Raph stepped forward.

"Yes! But I think **this** will be the last time!" the Shredder said as he beckoned one of the robots forward. It was blue and silver with a round head and one eye that glowed eye. The Foot insignia was on its chest on the right side of its chest. Just then, it held up its arm and blasted Raph with its laser gun into a piece of machinery.

"Raph!" Sam shouted. Then, her eyes narrowed as she looked at the Shredder. "That's it! Let's break the Shredder's new toys and then take care of him once and for all!" Leo and the others rushed forward into the fight, each of them battling the robots while Master Splinter and the Shredder face off against one another. The robots were quick, fast and had amazing fighting skills. Samantha found herself back-to-shell with either Leo, Don or Mikey at least twice during the fight. Finally, she managed to penetrate its armor and destroy it from the inside out.

"Raph, watch out!" Mikey shouted. Samantha turned and saw Raph holding onto one of the robot's cannon arms, which was now aimed at barrels of explosive fuel. Just then, another blast came from the cannon.

"No!" she shouted, but the blast hit the barrels, causing the entire deck to crumble beneath all of them. Samantha tumbled to the ground and looked up in time to see Master Splinter fall hard to the ground, the Shredder landing on his feet. Master Splinter, greatly weakened by the chains and fighting the Shredder, tried to get up but fell to the ground.

"Goodbye...old foe!" Shredder said as he raised his claw in the air. Images of her father's death at the hands of the Shredder flashed in her mind. Her vision went red, and her mind was blank of all else except one thing.

Kill.

"Master Splinter...NO!" Samantha screamed, leaping through the air and catching the blow with her sword. "You sorry son of a bitch! I will not stand by and watch you take another father from me! Not **this** time!"

"You are pathetic!" the Shredder snarled as he kicked the sword out of her hands and his claw slashed across her chest, cutting through the skin but not going deep enough to cause any internal damage. Yet. Then, he slashed her left arm. Cuts stinging from pain and bleeding, she found her body on fire with pain, and she fell to her knees before the Shredder. He grabbed her easily by the collar of her battle suit, his claw aimed right at her heart. "The only reason why you will live a little longer than these freaks is so that you can unlock the hidden powers of the Amulet of Bushido for me!"

"You can go to Hell, bastard!" she spat. "I'll never do it!"

"Then I will gladly send you to where your blasted father and mother are!" the Shredder growled. "Who knows? Maybe you'll see your freaks there as well!"

"General Splinter! Lieutenant Bushido!" Zog yelled before slamming hard into the Shredder. He released Samantha, who fell to the floor beside Master Splinter. Shredder was thrown back, but unfortunately landed on his feet. "Federation scum! You will pay for insulting my commanding officers!" The two fought fiercely as Leo rushed to Samantha's and Master Splinter's sides with Mikey.

"Samantha? Are you OK?" Leo asked as he helped her to her feet.

"I can...walk, Leo!" she gritted out, standing and walking only a few feet before she collapsed into his waiting arms.

"Yeah! Right!" Leo told her as he picked her up bridal style. "You're starting to sound like me, Samantha!"

"Guys! We've got two and a half minutes before this place is a thousand feet underwater!" Don shouted.

"You small-brained terrapin!" scolded a voice. Don turned and saw Baxter Stockman (in brain form only with one eye attached to it) in a glass cylinder filled with liquid. "Look what you've done to my lab!"

"Stockman? Is that you?" Don asked, coming closer to the glass jar. "Man! You've really let yourself go!" Stockman smashed his brain against the jar, making Don take a step back. Just then, one of the robots appeared in front of Leo again.

"Hold her while I deal with Shredder's playmate," Leo said, handing Sam gently to Mikey before taking out his katanas and facing off with the robot, who had a sword in one hand and a claw on the other. Leo sliced into the armor with his swords, causing the robot to go to pieces. Literally.

"Leo! Catch!" Mikey shouted, tossing Sam back to Leo as he faced off with another robot.

"What am I?! Some sort of beanie bag?!" Sam demanded as Leo caught her quickly and scooped her up bridal style.

"Sorry about that, Samantha," Leo told her. "Things got a little hairy there with the robots, but we should be OK now. No more tossing you around like a beanie bag. Scout's honor."

"Always thought you'd be the Boy Scout of the bunch, Leo," she muttered. Earning a chuckle from him, she felt relieved and safe when he scooped her into his arms again, her head lying against his plastron. She wanted to stay like this forever. OK. Maybe not forever, but it felt nice. Not nearly as nice as being in Donny's arms, but it was still nice just the same.

"Oh no! We've got less than a minute to get out of here!" Don told them. Hurrying towards the large hole that had been created by the explosion, everyone stopped in their tracks when the Shredder came flying through the fire and landed right in front of them, blocking their path.

"This is the end, Turtles!" Shredder declared, laughing evilly. "You will **never** leave this ship alive! And neither will your rat or your precious princess!"

"This Federation worm is **mine**!" Zog growled as he and the Shredder rushed towards each other. Shredder hit Zog with a couple of blows that sent him stumbling backwards.

"No!" Raph muttered under his breath. Just then, Zog took up a piece of a stone column and used it to bash the Shredder hard. The Shredder was unmoving on the ground as Zog turned and declared, "Victory!"

"Zog! No!" Mikey shouted, but it was too late. The Shredder sliced into Zog's back with his claw, and the Triceraton fell to the ground.

"Triceraton fool!" Shredder shouted, raising his claw above him. "All who oppose me are fated to perish!"

"You heartless, evil, murdering creep!" Samantha snarled, feeling helpless and weak from the loss of blood she'd suffered. "So help me God if I wasn't injured, I'd...!"

"Silence! You mutant scum and this Bushido brat should know that better than anyone!" Shredder roared, advancing on them. "I have tolerated you Turtles and this palace child for far too long!" Just then, Zog appeared behind the Shredder and grasped him tightly, crushing him against him.

"Yeah!" everyone cheered.

"Sirs! Tell them Zog fought bravely for his comrades!" Zog told them as Samantha's jaw dropped in horror as Zog carried the Shredder across the room towards the deep pit. "For the Republic! For victory!"

"Zog! No!" Samantha shouted, but it was too late. Zog and the Shredder had already toppled into the flames, which roared up fiercely.

"We have ta save 'im!" Raph shouted, beginning to run forward, but Don grabbed his arm and held him back.

"It's too late!" Don argued. "He's gone!"

"My children. He gave us our lives," Master Splinter reminded them as the ship began to crumble. "We must not dishonor his sacrifice!" The ship began to quake fiercely as something creaked loudly.

"C'mon! Let's go!" Leo ordered. Carrying Samantha in his arms, Leo and the others hurried onto the deck.

"It's gonna blow any second!" Don shouted as they ran to the edge of the deck.

"Hold on to my shell!" Leo told Samantha as he gently slipped her onto his back before he, his brothers and their father dove into the waters and swam seconds before the Shredder's freighter exploded and sank into the waters of the river.

* * *

Samantha and the others were all on the deck, watching the thin column of smoke from the Shredder's ship rising from the surface of the river. Leo was still holding onto Samantha, who was looking weaker and more drained. But right now, she didn't care about her pain. All she could think about was Zog. He'd saved her life and then had made the ultimate sacrifice for all of them.

"You know, it was a real honor having Zog as one of us," Leo said gravely. "He was a great warrior." Mikey clenched his teeth to keep from crying. Samantha reached out and put a consoling hand on his arm. Mikey looked at her and she simply nodded in understanding.

"C'mon. Let's go home," Don told everyone as they turned away from the docks. Leo placed Samantha on her feet for a moment, and she tried walking a little bit before he scooped her up again.

"We'll get Donny to tend to your battle wounds and then get you home," Leo told her as the Shell Sleds came into view.

"Thanks. Now, what was it you wanted to tell me on the freighter?" she inquired.

"I know that it was hard to forgive Karai for what she did to you and your father, but...I'm glad you did," Leo explained. "And for a moment, I couldn't tell the difference between you and Bushido. You were so much like your father when you accepted her offer of alliance. And...I'm really proud of you, Samantha Tiffany Bushido."

"Thanks, I...wait a second! How did you know that Tiffany's my middle name?!"

"Don talks in his sleep."

"He what?!"

"Yeah. You didn't notice?"

"No. And I've slept with him an entire night. He never said a word."

"Maybe because you wore him out with all that...how would the Italians say it... oh yeah! Bada bing!"

"Shut up!" She hit him lightly in the head and laughed right along with him. However, neither of them could've guessed that while their new friend and ally had died, their old foe, the Shredder (and unfortunately, Baxter Stockman) had survived the explosion and would be back soon enough to have their revenge on the Turtles and capture Samantha to access the legendary powers of an Amulet that only few people knew would be the world's only hope in the face of its darkest hour.

**Sorry guys. I know you were hoping for a double fan-visit, but I have to get up early tomorrow morning to get to the gym, plus I have classes and work to do, and then I have work to do before I can even _think_ of writing my novel for the contest. But I intend to get it done, so wish me luck! And review as soon as you can because I really like seeing them! They build my confidence as an author, and right now, I could use some! Anyways, good luck with going back to school and with life, my loyal readers! Happy reading! :)**

**-Livangel16**


	59. Chapter 59

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**I'M BAAACK! Hello everyone! Sorry I've been gone awhile, but things got pretty busy. So, thank you SO MUCH to all of my reviewers: grapejuice101, Aster Sapphire, pokemonjkl, Kimmie98, IAmTheDragonEmpress, Leonardo's Adriene, Guest, flamedragon242, I Love Kittens Too, Manderss.x.x., lovefairytail007, mchap114, ninja-warrior101, IceColdFever, NeverMindSoGo, Pink Lightspeed Ranger and zrexheartz! You guys ROCK! So, because I have been so busy and will be QUITE occupied for the next few weeks, I want to update this story and end season 2. That's right, my loyal readers. You are getting FIVE, WHOLE CHAPTERS of Not An Ordinary Girl action from chapter 59 (which is my own invention) to chapter 63 (chapters 60 to 63 cover The Big Brawl, Parts 1, 2, 3 AND 4!) I'll do visiting fan sections again starting in chapter 64 when we start SEASON 3! So excited! PLEASE REVIEW EACH CHAPTER INDIVIDUALLY! PRETTY PLEASE?! OK. So, without further ado, here are the last five chapters of season 2! Enjoy! ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Tonya woke up with a smile on her face for the first time in months. Yawning and stretching, she slipped out of bed and tiptoed down the hallway to check on her sister. Cracking open the door, she peeked inside and saw Caroline still buried underneath her covers. Smiling, she closed the door again and walked down the corridor of their apartment. As much as the place annoyed her sometimes (with the dripping faucet and the nosy, creepy landlord), she was still grateful they had a place to stay. Winning that dance contest had been a miracle, and as much as the girls had helped, Tonya knew that their determination had come from Raph telling them about hers and Care's situation.

Raph. Raphael. Hamato Raphael. Her friend. Her boyfriend. Her life. The only guy who hadn't been afraid of her. The only guy who really knew her, who understood her. The guy who hadn't run away when she'd told him she'd been raped when she was thirteen. For years now, Tonya had tried to hide the pain she'd felt about her abuse, her rape, her suffering by dating different men, all the time searching for that one guy who'd love her unconditionally. But all she'd found were scumbags who wanted nothing from her but sex. She'd had a few altercations with them, but she managed each time to survive with only minor injuries.

And then Raph came.

When Sam first mentioned him, Tonya thought he'd be like all the other guys who'd come before him. But when he'd saved her in that alley, when he'd forced her to realize that she couldn't hide her emotions forever, the walls she'd built up had crumbled under his tough yet kind gentleness. For the first time since moving out of her father's home, Tonya felt alive, complete.

She felt human.

But she didn't know that somewhere at that same moment of bliss she was feeling, a few hundred blocks away, another woman was thinking about Hamato Raphael.

* * *

Paulina Montgomery sat fuming in her armchair. She'd just gotten off work and had headed home after a long, frustrating night. Her fifth since Raph had broken up with her almost two months ago. She was downright exhausted and enraged. The sleepless nights, the heartbroken tears that had soaked her pillow, and now, rage. Pure, unadulterated rage.

They weren't supposed to have ended. They were perfect together. She was his.

And Raph was _hers._

She knew his secret. She had ever since he'd revealed himself to her in that alley to save her from the Purple Dragons. Maybe when he'd come into the bar with Casey Jones, one of her regulars. He'd been wearing a leather jacket, leather pants, black sneakers and a large hat that covered his face. But she hadn't freaked out when she'd seen what he was. In fact, she'd found it downright incredible. And from that night on, they'd hit it off.

They made a good pair: the hotheaded ninja turtle and the sassy, sexy bartender (she was also part-owner since her alcoholic father never really showed up to do anything except complain about patrons and help himself to the inventory in back). She hadn't even minded having sex with him three weeks into their relationship (even though he'd suggested taking it a bit slower for her sake). For weeks, even months, Paulina had been the happiest she'd ever been. Not a lot of guys were interested in a long-term relationship with her (although one night stands with her were like an instant reputation-booster). Raph and she had talked on the phone, met up at her bar after-hours, and had even gone to her apartment numerous times to make love, have dinner and just talk. Paulina had felt like she was on top of the world.

And then, Tonya walked into the picture.

After he met her, Paulina suspected that it was the beginning of the end for them. Whenever Raph had been on the phone, he'd smiled whenever someone on the other line said that...that..._witch's_ name. But she decided to step up her game, prove to Raph that she was better than some stupid, teenage slut. She'd dressed more provocatively, cooked his favorite foods, and made love to him so hard, he'd claimed he was seeing stars at the end of it.

When that hadn't worked, she started throwing fits, accusing him of screwing Tonya and other girls behind her back. Then, when he flew into a rage, she'd beg him to stay, sobbing that she loved him and that she needed him. There were times when she'd throw things, fly into rages, follow him around in her car whenever he drove his motorcycle. She needed him. He was a part of her.

But in the end, it wasn't enough. Two months ago, Raph had called to tell her it was over between them.

And now here she was. Alone, miserable and heartbroken.

But then she remembered an older man who'd come into her bar a couple of times a week. Sometimes, he even brought his grandson (personally, she thought the kid was a complete jerk and had an attitude to boot), but he always listened to her problems. In a way, he reminded her of her grandfather. He'd died when she was still a kid and she missed him like crazy to this day.

She picked up the phone and dialed his number. He answered on the second ring.

"Hey Pauli. What's got you feeling down in the dumps?"

"Bad break-up."

"You what know I always say: Every break-up can take you up."

"I know. I know. But I really loved this guy, Marcus. And then some teenage slut got in the way. I mean, Raphael was just so amazing, and loving, and...funny and...I really love him. He was..._different_ from all the other guys I've been with."

"He must've been some Don Juan, Pauli."

"Yeah. In mutant turtle form."

"What?!" So, Marcus **hadn't** been lying when he'd told him that a bunch of giant, ninja turtles had attacked him twice, earning him numerous punishments from the Shredder for his failures. And now, Paulina had access to one of them. Marcus smiled to himself. Though his grandson was an idiotic pretty boy, he'd promised the boy's father that he'd take care of him. And Marcus Danielson II had loved his son more than his five, 8-figured bank accounts.

"You're freaked out that I had sex with a mutant turtle, aren't you?" Paulina said.

"You want him back?" Marcus inquired, catching her off-guard with his sudden shift in mood. This was his chance to gain redemption for his grandson.

"Huh?"

"Do you want him back? Simple question, Pauli."

"Of course I do."

"And what would you do to get him back?"

"Anything. Hell, I'd even kill the slut who took him from me!"

Marcus chuckled. "That's my girl. Now, listen to me carefully. I'm gonna give you the phone number of a very close associate of mine. I believe he can help you with your..._man_ problems."

* * *

"Sir. A call for you on Line 2," one of the men informed his master. He nodded and then pressed the button to show a visual picture of a young woman with long, black hair, electric-blue eyes and a very developed body (probably from plastic surgery).

"Hello, Mr. Saki," Paulina said. "I'm Paulina Montgomery."

" A pleasure, Miss Montgomery," Oroku Saki replied, bowing to her and smiling. "May I ask how you got this number? I am not listed in the yellow pages."

"Mr. Marcus Danielson II is a good friend of mine and referred me to you."

"I see. Now, what is it that you have need of my services?"

"I need help eliminating a rival. Her name is Tonya Harrison. She stole someone from me, and I want him back."

"I see. But why not hire a hit-man? Or contact someone in a street gang? Why come to me?

"Because I know you'd have a special interest in this case. The person in question is a mutant turtle by the name of Hamato Raphael."

"Turtle?!"

"Yep. A little birdie told me that you and Raphael's family have had..._problems_ for the last little while. Get rid of the Harrison slut for me, and I'll get Raph to spill his secrets to me, which _you_ can use however you please."

"Alright. Anything else?"

"Yes. None of your goons are to hurt Raphael. His brothers, the bitch and her slut crew are fair game, though. But not one finger gets put on my Raphie. Got it?" Saki could've laughed aloud at this stupid woman. Did she **honestly **think he wasn't going to destroy her precious "Raphie" the moment he got his hands on him?

"Agreed. I will send you one of my most capable henchmen to take care of your..._pest problem._" Paulina smiled and nodded.

"Tell him to meet me at O'Brien's Pub at midnight tomorrow night," Paulina replied. "Marcus Danielson II said that he'll take care of any..._fees_ involved."

"Of course, my dear." The screen went black and then Saki sat up straight, smiling evilly. He snapped his fingers and two, Foot ninjas appeared.

"Summon Karai here!" he ordered. They nodded and then disappeared to call Karai to her master's side. She came almost immediately.

"Yes Master?" Karai asked, kneeling before her Master and her adoptive father.

"I have a job for you, Karai," Saki informed her. "So listen closely and do **not** fail me!"

* * *

"No way!" Olivia breathed.

"It **can't** be!" Makayla gasped.

"Impossible!" Samantha whispered. They were all sitting at a table inside the cafe at the Jackman Humanities Building. They'd gone there for lunch and to study, but right now, Sam's half-eaten Thai food, Olivia's turkey club sandwich and Makayla's spicy tuna rolls all laid abandoned as the three girls leaned in close to their fourth friend. Tonya was grinning widely as she waved the two concert tickets in front of her girlfriends' faces.

"How did _Raph_ get you and him _front-row tickets_ to see Simple Plan tonight?!" Samantha demanded.

"I heard Penelope Montanez couldn't even get tickets! And her father's friends with their _manager_!" Makayla added.

"He knows people," Tonya replied, shrugging modestly.

"So, it's your first date with your hotheaded, ninja boyfriend Tonya Harrison," Olivia said, speaking into her hand as though it was a microphone and she was a reporter. "What are you going to do?"

"First, **you're** gonna get your "microphone" away from me!" Tonya chuckled, shoving Olivia playfully. "Second is that I'm gonna tell Quincy to check in on Care tonight while I go to a slammin' rock concert with the most amazing guy alive!"

"Ooo! Tonya loves Raph! Tonya loves Raph!" Olivia sang in a teasing voice. "Tonya loves-!"

"Tonya's gonna punch you in the face any second if you don't stop singing that song!" Tonya growled. Makayla snorted a bit and rolled her eyes slightly as Olivia backed off.

"If he kisses you, will you kiss him back?" Makayla asked.

"Duh! Of course!" Tonya replied, rolling her eyes. "I've already kissed him before, so why would I suddenly hesitate to now?"

"What if he wants to...you know...go..._further_?" Olivia whispered. It was the first time Samantha had seen Tonya speechless. She sat there, her cheeks turning the same shade of red as her hair, her jaw hanging open. Then she closed it and managed to recompose herself.

"I honestly don't know, 'Liv," she replied in a low voice. "I mean, he's incredibly hot and stuff. But...what if he thinks I'm..._dirty_?"

"Why the Hell would he think that?" Samantha asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Makayla reminded them. Then, comprehension flashed in both Samantha's and Olivia's eyes. They nodded and Tonya looked down at the table.

"Listen, Tonya," Samantha told her, placing a gentle hand over Tonya's on the table. "Raphael does **not** and will **never** think that about you. He likes you a lot. And he didn't run away from what happened to you that night. He's been with you ever since you confessed it. If he was gonna turn tail and run, he would've done it a long time ago. Trust me. Raphael adores you, Tonya Harrison."

"Thanks girls," she told them, smiling at them.

"Anytime!" Olivia told her, batting the air with her hand. Makayla snickered as Tonya rolled her eyes and Samantha gave her the _be nice_ look.

"Well...I hate to eat and run, but I have a date to get ready for, ladies!" Tonya told them brightly, getting up from the table. "Wish me luck!"

"Not necessary, Tonya," Makayla told her. "You'll be fine."

"OK. I know this is usually where the girls ask what outfit you're wearing to the concert," Olivia whispered, "but I wanna know...in case you and Raph decide to...you know... what are you gonna wear _under_ your outfit? La Senza? Vic's Secret? Agent Provocateur?"

" 'Liv!" Makayla scolded, slapping the back of her hand playfully. "Not at the lunch table!"

"It's fine, Mac," Tonya chuckled. "I haven't decided between La Senza or Vic's Secret."

"Which one are you leaning more towards?" Samantha asked, smirking a bit.

"If I'm _forced_ to choose, I'll go with Vic's Secret," Tonya replied, smirking back. "It'll **really** get the blood flowing!" She winked. "If ya know what I mean!"

* * *

Karai entered the shadowy bar wearing a trench coat over her ninja suit. A few men sat at the bar and whistled at her when she came in. She'd like nothing more than to stab them or flip them or castrate them and dangle their precious "jewels" in front of their stricken faces. She smiled to herself at the thought of inflicting torture upon these sicken cretins. Just then, Paulina came in from the back of the bar. She wore a low-cut, black shirt that showed her massive cleavage, tight, leather pants and had her dark hair back in a high ponytail.

"You must be Karai," Paulina said, holding out her hand to shake. Karai only looked at it. Paulina drew her hand back quickly. "So...can I get you anything to drink? Beer? Wine? Whisky?"

"No thank you," the ninja replied curtly. Paulina frowned slightly as she cleaned a glass. "Is there somewhere more..._private_ where we can speak?"

"My office is in back," Paulina answered, pointing to a room down to the left.

"Perfect," Karai replied shortly, leaping over the counter and heading off in that direction. Paulina stumbled behind her.

"Close the door," Karai ordered. Paulina did as she was told. Karai perched herself on the desk and stared at Paulina. "I'll tell you from now that I loathe being used for such a lowly job as this. However, if we can get to the Turtles through this Harrison girl, this will please my master. So, what have you thought of to make this turtle and the girl suffer?"

"I want her dead, but I don't wanna hurt Raph."

"Why not?"

"Because...it's not his fault."

Karai laughed, and the coldness of that laugh made Paulina feel as though she'd had cold water dumped on her. "Not his fault?! He abandoned you for another woman of his own _free will_ and he's not to blame?! Listen to me, Miss Montgomery, you've probably let everyone walk all over you for your entire life. You've let do what they want, say what they want, treat you how **they** want to treat you." Paulina said nothing, and Karai knew she had her attention. So she stood up and walked behind Paulina, standing close to her so that she could draw in her prey.

"You know you want to make him suffer, to see him beg you for their lives. It's a power trip, Paulina. Having someone beg _you_ to spare someone. Then_ you'd_ be the one in charge, who can say what they want, do what they want. You'll have him wrapped around your finger. He'll never leave you again after that. So, how do you wanna make this bitch and that traitorous bastard pay?" Paulina smiled, a strange smile for her, but one all too familiar to Karai.

"I wanna torture that bitch in front of Raphael until he's on his knees begging me to forgive him!" Paulina growled.

"And then?"

Paulina chuckled darkly. "And then I'll kill her right in front of him and watch him scream and cry and..._break_! It'll be so sweet to see the tough turtle broken and crying like a scared, little infant! And it'll be even sweeter to put an end to that slut who _dared_ to steal _my _man from _me_!"

* * *

"Wow! You should've **seen** your face!" Tonya laughed as she and Raph stumbled into the apartment building in each other's arms. They weren't drunk or anything, but the memories of the concert, of their night together, had intoxicated them with happiness and bliss.

"Hey! I ain't never been crowd-surfing before!" Raph protested as they came to the door of her apartment. "But I gotta admit: it was the most amazing experience o' my life!"

"Told you so!" Tonya chuckled as she leaned back against the door, Raph's arms around her waist. He smirked that ridiculously infuriating yet sexy smirk of his before his lips were devouring hers hungrily. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. When his lips slid from her mouth to her neck, her hips thrusted forward automatically, grinding his against and causing him to moan against her skin.

"Tonya!" he growled as his hands caressed her sides and slithered over her hips and across her stomach.

"Raph!" she panted, pulling on his bandana tails and drawing him back up for a passionate, heartfelt kiss. Raph responded and then pulled away suddenly, breathing hard.

"We can't do dis. Not tonight," he told her.

"Why not? Is it because I'm...not a virgin?" Tonya inquired, trying not to look worried or insecure in front of him. Raph's face turned beet-red.

"No! O' course not! That's not it, babe."

Tonya breathed a silent sigh of relief. "Then what is it?"

"I...I just don't wanna rush things between us, Tonya. I mean, da last time I did dat, I ended up making da biggest mistake o' my life! And you matter ta me a whole lot more than anything in da world! Except maybe Roxanne."

"Roxanne? Who's Roxanne?!"

"My motorcycle, babe. Mikey named her. First thing he ever did that didn't annoy da shell outta me!"

Tonya giggled. "You're mean sometimes, Hamato Raphael."

"You still love me." Tonya smirked and pushed herself off the door before kissing Raphael, but this time, when she pulled back, she let her tongue slid out and lick his lips while she slid her hands down his plastron. Pulling away, she smirked when she heard him growl and take a step back, shaking slightly.

"Get inside Tonya," he told her. "I dunno how much longer I can hold myself back before I ignore what I told ya and just take ya right here and now."

Tonya's smirk widened as she blew him a kiss. "Good night, my hotheaded, hot-blooded ninja turtle.""

Raph smirked back. "And good night to you, my feisty, never-back-down, sexy, argumentative girlfriend."

"Argumentative? Did you have Donny look up that word for you to use to impress me?"

"Why? Is it working?"

She smirked and leaned back against the door, arms gripping the doorposts, hips tilted and her eyes smoldering with desire. "Maybe."

Raph growled again and Tonya quickly slipped inside before she too found herself unable to resist the temptation. Slamming the door closed behind her, Tonya quickly locked it before she kicked off her shoes. The apartment was dark, and she wondered if Caroline was asleep.

"Care? Caroline? I'm home!" Tonya called, but there was no answer. Stumbling towards the living area, her hands felt along the wall for a light switch. She finally found it and flicked it. She gasped as the light revealed two women and about twenty black-clothed ninjas standing over beside the sofa. One of them looked like a bimbo with her low-cut shirt, tight pants and her long, black hair loose about her shoulders. The other looked like some sort of ninja. She wore a black ninja suit and had two swords across her back like Samantha wore hers. She was tall and pretty with green eyes, pink lips and dark, short hair that looked grey in the faint light. But even though she was pretty, she didn't like having two strange women and a bunch of armed ninjas in her house.

"Who the Hell are you, and what're you doing in my apartment?!" Tonya snarled, clenching her fists.

"Raph choose a feisty little whore this time, huh?" the bimbo chuckled as she walked forward a bit.

"_You're_ calling _me_ a whore, lady?!" Tonya snapped, eyeing the woman with disgust. "Have you looked in a mirror recently?!"

"You'll wanna that tongue of yours with me, bitch!" the woman snapped.

"Paulina, enough!" the other woman snapped. She had a commanding tone to her voice. Then something clicked in Tonya's mind. The other woman had called the bimbo _Paulina._

"So you're the bimbo that Raph dumped like a pair of old tennis shoes in a landfill," Tonya told her, smirking. "I always imagined you as a psycho, jealous whore, but this _topped_ my expectations."

"Get her!" Paulina shouted. The ninjas leapt forward, but Tonya was ready for them. She dodged, punched and kicked, and managed to take out at least six of them before a voice shouted, "Enough!" She turned and saw Karai holding a bound and gagged Caroline against her, a knife to the young girl's throat.

"Surrender or watch your sister die before your eyes, Tonya Harrison!" the other woman yelled. "It only takes one quick slash, and I never miss a kill. Make your choice."

"You evil, pretentious, lowlife bitch!" Tonya growled before three ninjas seized her and pinned her to the wall. She struggled and managed to throw one of them into the glass coffee table, shattering it loudly. But two more came and took his place. They picked up the struggling Tonya, and one of them gagged her quickly as the others held her arms and legs.

"You stay here," Karai ordered the archer as she tried a sobbing, gagged Caroline along by the hair. "Wait until the Turtles come and then give them the message."

"And then make sure they follow you straight to us!" Paulina added. Then, she took out an hourglass and inverted it, setting it on the sofa. She smiled evilly. "The sands of time have begun to pour, Raphael. Let's see if you can beat the clock."

* * *

Raph entered the Lair, tossing off his leather jacket and helmet onto the Shell Cycle. For the first time in a long while, Raph felt happy. Ecstatic even. Paulina seemed like a distant memory of a past life that had been unfulfilling and reckless. She'd been attractive and amazing in bed, but her clinginess and her almost insane jealousy had signaled to Raph that maybe going with Paulina wasn't the brightest move he'd ever made.

But Tonya was a different type of girl altogether.

Not only was she incredibly good-looking (probably even more so than Paulina), but she was the first girl to ever stand up to Raph and not be afraid to yell some sense into him. Tonya would get right up in his face and tell him straight up how she felt about how he acted. She kept his ass in line because she cared for him, because he was important to her. Because she loved him.

And he loved her. He really did. Her temper almost rivaled his, and she was a natural-born fighter that sometimes got on his nerves (especially after the bug prank at the farm), but he really loved her. With her, he felt complete; secure. He felt like he wanted to become a better turtle every day because of her. That was why he'd broken up with Paulina. How could he date a jealous, insecure girl when he was in love with a fiery, passionate, blunt, never-backs-down-to-anyone woman?

"What's got you in such a good mood, Hothead?" Samantha asked, smirking as Raph came into the living room with a huge smile plastered on his face. She was sitting on Don's lap, his arms around her waist, and Donny peered out over her shoulder and then quickly ducked behind her, a smile on his face.

"Nothin' dat concerns you, Princess!" Raph told her, but his voice didn't have the usual toughness to it, and the smile didn't fade for even a second.

"Right!" Samantha chuckled. Her smile widened. She was happy for Raphael. And for Tonya as well. They'd both needed someone in their lives to keep them in check. And as long as they were happy, she was happy as well.

"I take it from the insanely cheesy smile and the lack of a temper that the date went well?" Don prodded as Sam leaned back against him so that he and Raph could talk to each other face-to-face.

"Better dan "well", Einstein," Raph replied, grinning uncontrollably.

"Aww! I think Raph's in love!" Samantha cooed, putting her hands over her heart. That seemed to shatter the bliss surrounding Raph like a bullet through a glass windowpane.

"Get real, Princess!" Raph snorted, rolling his eyes. "I may be fond o' Tonya, but that don't mean I'm turning into a mushy mutant!"

"Heaven forbid that ever happens!" Don muttered as Samantha giggled and Raph narrowed his eyes at his younger brother. Just then, loud, rock music began echoing throughout the room.

"Wonder who **that** could be?" Sam teased, smiling at Raph who, after rolling his eyes and muttering something under his breath, took out his ringing Shell-cell and answered it.

"Hello?"

"WHERE ARE THEY?!" demanded a male voice on the other side of the line. It was so loud that Samantha and Don both heard it and jumped.

"Who da Hell is dis?!" Raph snarled, leaping up from the armchair and slamming the phone against his face. He hurried away from the living room and the prying ears of Donatello and his girlfriend. He leaned against a wall in the shadows.

"Quincy. Tonya and Caroline's cousin!" the man snapped. "Now tell me what the Hell you did with them!"

"What da shell are ya talking about?!" Raph shouted angrily.

"Don't play dumb with me!" Quincy yelled. "You took my cousin out tonight and then I heard a noise downstairs! I go down and the place looks like it's been ransacked! Tonya and Care are gone!"

"SAY WHAT?!"

"Look, you sick bastard! Just...give me back my cousins! I...I...I don't have money, but please!" Raph could hear the desperate, pleading tone in his voice. "I'm begging you! Don't hurt them! Care, she...she's just a kid! And Tonya...!"

"Quincy! I swear dat I don't know where Tonya and Care are! I dropped Tonya off in front of her apartment and left her dere."

"You're serious."

"If I'm lyin', I'm dyin', Quincy."

"What's your name?"

"I'm Raphael. I'm Tonya's...boyfriend. And I can tell ya fer a fact dat I'd **never** hurt Tonya or Care."

"Well **someone** sure as Hell did."

"Look. I'll be right over, OK. Just keep yer door locked and wait fer me. Whoever did dis might come after you next, so stay inside."

"Alright. And, uh, Raph?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry. About accusing you of hurting my cousins. Tonya talks about you a lot."

"She does?"

"Yeah. Though she never told me your name. She'd probably kick my ass for even _suggesting_ that you'd lay a finger on her or Care."

Raph chuckled. "Yeah. Dat sounds like Tonya alright." Then, his voice turned serious. "Don't worry, Quincy. I'm gonna find whoever took Tonya and Care and make 'em pay for it. I swear it."

Quincy let out a nervous laugh. "Damn. No wonder my cousin likes you so much." Raph smirked and then hung up the phone. Then, he slipped off silently to his room, unaware that Don and Samantha had heard every word.

* * *

Raph appeared at the entrance of the apartment and Quincy buzzed him in. The guy was a little shocked to see that his cousin was dating a six-foot tall, mutant turtle who carried sais as weapons and could kick ass like it was nobody's business. But he finally accepted it (after Raph had "convinced" him using his sais that calling the FBI or the CIA would be useless). Now, the two stood at the door of Tonya's apartment. Quincy jiggled the lock and found it open. Sign number one that something was wrong: Tonya** always** locked her door whenever she came home. Opening the door, Raph and Quincy entered the darkened room. A light came on and Raph gasped.

The coffee table in the middle of the living room was shattered, the sofa cushions were scattered all over the floor, and various pieces of furniture were lying on their sides. There were even a few broken plates in the nearby kitchen. The place really did look like it had been ransacked or something. Raph's eyes immediately narrowed. He walked further in and studied the room more closely. He looked down at the rug and saw at least twenty different footprints embedded in the material.

"One thing's fer sure, Quincy," Raph informed his girlfriend's cousin. "There was more dan one person here. Maybe even more dan **dat**." Just then, he felt someone touch his shoulders. Whirling around, he leapt to his feet and drew out his sais, twirling them in that lethal fashion that meant he was ready for a fight.

"Anyone would think you're not happy to see us or something!" Makayla told him, shaking her head and snickering. Leo, Don, Mikey, Olivia and Samantha stood behind her and smiled at Raph before Leo told them to spread out and get searching.

"What're **you** guys doin' here?!" Raph demanded, although he didn't look as angry as he sounded.

"Tonya's our friend too," Olivia answered, her voice saying "Duh!" loud and clear.

"You're not the only one who cares about her, Raph," Samantha informed him.

"There are..._more_ of you?!" Quincy demanded as he watched Raph's brothers scatter about the room, searching for more clues.

"Yeah. Dis is it, though," Raph answered. Quincy bit down on his bottom lip, and Samantha could tell he was having a hard time not running or screaming or even fainting. "No one else is showing up. I hope."

"Whoa!" Mikey breathed as he looked around the entire room. "Talk about home invasion!"

"Who could've done something like this?" Olivia asked, gazing around.

"Whoever they are, they must've been waiting for Tonya to show up," Makayla informed them, coming back into the main area. "Care's room's a mess. They must've jumped her and kept her quiet until her sister got home."

* * *

The archer saw them and quickly tied the note onto the shaft of the arrow. Then, he took out his bow and slid the arrow into it, drawing back on the bowstring and aiming right for the pixie-haired girl. He smiled to himself. His mistress **had **said that everyone except the one in the red was fair game.

* * *

"Well whoever they were, Tonya get 'em a run for their money," Raph observed, kneeling down beside the broken coffee table.

Just then, the whistling of an arrow caught Leo's ears and he watched as Makayla bent backwards, barely dodging the black-and-red arrow as it flew past her and embedded itself in the wall beside her. Everyone's weapons were out in an instant and Raph was sheltering Quincy. But the mysterious archer had vanished as quickly as he'd shot his arrow.

"You OK, Mac?" Leo asked, looking worriedly at his girlfriend as she straightened and brushed herself off.

"Yeah. I almost get skewered by arrows on a daily basis!" Mac replied, earning a snort from Leo.

"Check **this** out!" Don shouted, drawing everyone's attention to the arrow and the message wrapped around it. Don opened the paper. "It's a note!"

"Like a ransom note?" Mikey asked.

"Not** like** a ransom note. **A** ransom note," Don corrected. "Could you be any dimmer?!"

"I resent that!" Mikey snapped. Raph smacked him in the back of the head.

"Shut it, Shell-For-Brains!" Raph growled. Then, he turned to Don. "Go on, Donny. Read it. What's it say?"

"Um...I think **you** should read this, Raph," Don told him. "It's addressed to you." Raph snatched it from Don's hand and quickly scanned the words on the page. His face became livid, and his teeth were clenched tightly together. He crumpled the note in his hands into a ball.

"Dat no good psycho bitch!" he snarled, slamming the note to the ground. "I should've **known** she'd do something like dis!"

"Who?" Olivia inquired.

"Paulina! My ex!" Raph growled, narrowing his eyes as he looked out the window. "She did dis!"

"How do you know?" Samantha inquired.

"Read da note!" Raph told them grimly. Leo picked up the crumpled paper and then unfolded it. Everyone crowded around to read

_Hello Raphie. Long time, no hear from. But let's cut the chit-chat, baby. I've got your little "girlfriend" and her brat sister. If you wanna see them alive again, then you'll come to the 73rd floor of the Empire State Building before the sand runs out. Otherwise, your precious Tonya's gonna lose something very near and dear to her. Can't wait to see you again, babe._

_Love,_

_Paulina_

"Man! This chick is **spooky**!" Mikey exclaimed in horror. "What **did **you see in her?!"

"Don't ask!" Raph growled.

"What does she mean by "before the sand runs out"?" Leo inquired.

"Well, judging by the large, obvious hourglass standing right over **there**," Don replied sarcastically, pointing to the object in question, "I'd say that we have approximately two hours before the sand runs out."

"Two hours?! We'll never make it in time!" Raph groaned angrily, clutching his head. "Why da heck did I ever break up with Paulina?! If I'd known da trouble it was gonna cause me, I would've never...!"

"Never what, Raph?!" Makayla snapped. Everyone stared at her, and Leo took a step back from her. "Never stepped up to the plate like a man and helped her when she needed it most?! Never fallen in love with a girl who owes you her life for saving her and her sister from being homeless?! Never given her the chance to see that someone cares for her regardless of her past?! Because if you're saying that you regret meeting Tonya and Caroline Harrison Hamato Raphael, then I will seriously deck you **here and now**! You don't know how much she loves you, how much she's changed because of you! Maybe it's because I've seen her at some of the lowest points of her life, but one thing's for sure: Tonya's not the same girl I knew a few years ago. And ya know what, Raph? I damn well happy about that! Now stop doubting yourself and get your act together!"

"She's right, you know," Quincy told him. Raph turned and saw his girlfriend's cousin with a smile on his face.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Leo seconded, putting a proud hand on Makayla's shoulder.

"Mac's right, Raph," Samantha agreed, smiling at the hotheaded turtle. "Get your head out of your shell and go get your woman!"

"And her sister!" Olivia added, earning a smile from Mikey and a soft groan from Samantha.

"Thanks guys," Raph told them, smiling just a little bit. Just then, Samantha spotted movement from a rooftop across the street.

"Hey guys!" she whispered, hurrying to the window. "Check this out!" The others rushed over and saw the lone figure in black on the rooftop holding a bow in his hand.

"Looks like we found our mystery archer," Leo told them. Then, they faintly saw the symbol on his chest. "And who he works for!"

"Of course! This had the Foot written all over it!" Mikey exclaimed.

"The Foot?!" Olivia repeated in shock.

"And I'll bet my Amulet that Karai's somehow behind this," Samantha said through gritted teeth.

"I thought you two formed an alliance," Leo reminded her.

"Well Karai broke it the second she helped Paulina kidnap Tonya and Care!" Samantha shot back.

_Not to mention flirted with you,_ Makayla added silently in her mind.

"Who's Karai?" Olivia asked.

"Remember the "mutual friend" Sam and I kept mentioning?" Makayla prodded. Olivia nodded. "That was her."

"Geez! Some friend!" Olivia scoffed.

"I like to use that term...non-existently when the word "Karai" is in the same sentence," Samantha snorted.

"That makes two of us," Makayla muttered.

"Now that all that's been established, let's go catch Robin Ninja before he disappears," Mikey suggested.

"It looks like he's waiting for us," Don added, gazing out the window once more.

"Den let's not disappoint 'im!" Raph said in a low voice before hurrying out the door and onto the street. Glaring at the retreating back of the mystery archer, Raph took to the roofs and was soon soaring after his target at a burning pace with the others close behind him.

* * *

"Our man says that the Turtles and the Bushido princess are in pursuit of the archer," one of the ninjas reported to Paulina.

"Excellent," she replied. "Prepare the device." The ninja bowed and then hurried off.

"Hey!" a voice yelled. "Hey, you!" Paulina turned and saw Tonya, bound to the white statue of the founder of Yung-Lee Enterprises, struggling against the chains that shackled her arms to the marble arms of the statue. "You're pathetic, you know that?! You had to hire **ninjas** to do your dirty work for you! I guess the surgeon who gave you that plastic body didn't think to give you a brain, huh?!"

"Are you going to such insults from a puny girl, Paulina?!" Karai snorted, looking torn between disgust and...impression for Tonya's part.

"Oh please, lady!" Tonya scoffed, glaring at Karai. "You think **you're** any better than **her**?! A highly trained ninja working for a low class bimbo?! Your master must **really **not trust you!"

"Do not speak of things you know nothing about!" Karai snapped, drawing out her sword and pointing it at the young woman. Tonya didn't even flinch.

"Did I hit a nerve?" she asked, smirking. Karai growled, but then Paulina smiled cruelly. Jumping off the statue, she approached the balcony where Caroline was bound by her wrists and hanging precariously from its massive heights. Tonya's smirk vanished as she saw Paulina take out a knife and cut into the rope. Caroline screamed and sobbed as the rope jerked downwards towards the darkened streets. Karai was torn between looking impressed and looking horrified.

"Keep your tongue silent, or your sister will gain a new fear of heights," Paulina growled softly, hacking into the rope again. Tonya's eyes narrowed, but she held her tongue.

"Much better." Paulina smirked and then sheathed the knife again.

"My boyfriend is going to **kick your ass, **bimbo!" Tonya snarled softly.

"Correction, you little slut!" Paulina chuckled darkly, snapping the knife open in Tonya's face. "Your so-called boyfriend is going to watch you and the little brat die right in front of him. **After** I force him to do the unthinkable."

"And what's that?!" Tonya demanded. Then, she saw the insane glint in Paulina's eyes and swallowed a huge, nervous lump.

"Kill you himself."

* * *

The Empire State Building loomed tall, magnificent and foreboding as the Turtles, Samantha, Makayla, and Olivia watched the lone archer slip into an open window on the 73rd floor.

"That was easy," Mikey observed.

"A little **too** easy," Leo and Sam replied together. They shared a glance and then turned away quickly, trying their best not to blush in front of the others, especially Don and Makayla.

"Enough talk!" Raph snapped, twirling his sais. "Let's storm dis fortress and rescue my damsel and the damselette!"

"Does that word even exist in the English language?" Makayla questioned.

"Not in any dictionary translation I've ever read," Don answered.

"You've read the dictionary?" Samantha inquired, furrowing her eyebrows. "Why?"

"For fun," Don replied.

"Dude. You **seriously** need to get out more!" Mikey informed him.

"Can...we...go...now...PLEASE?!" Raph growled, his frame shaking with the repressed urge to start knocking heads.

"Hang on, Raph," Leo told him firmly. "This smells way too much like a trap to me. We need a plan."

"No time fer a plan!" Raph growled as he then leapt across the rooftops towards the Empire State Building.

"He's right," Don informed them, looking at his watch. "We've only got fifteen minutes to get inside there and show ourselves before Paulina kills Care."

"Mikey, you, Olivia and Makayla use the suction cups to scale the outer building around the 73rd floor," Leo instructed. "I have a feeling that we're gonna need someone on the outside for this."

"No way, Leo! I'm coming with you!" Makayla answered firmly, staring hard at her boyfriend.

"Makayla, listen to me! " Leo told her, gripping her shoulders. "Karai is not a minor threat! She is **lethal**! And God forbid she ever finds out you're my girlfriend! She'll stop at **nothing** to take you out!"

"Then she can give it her best shot!" Makayla growled, throwing off his hands. "It's about time I taught that ninja snake a lesson!"

"What lesson is that?" Olivia inquired.

"Mess with a judo fighter's boyfriend _and_ her family, and you're in for a world of hurt!" Makayla replied in a low, deadly voice. Then, without another word, she leapt across the rooftops after Raphael.

"How did Karai "mess with me"?" Leo wondered aloud.

"God! Are all men so dense?!" Samantha groaned in frustration. Leo turned to her, looking confused. "Leo! It's obvious that Makayla thinks Karai is hitting on you! She's protecting her turf!"

"Karai wasn't hitting on me!" Leo protested.

"Well Mac sure seems to think that," Samantha reminded him.

"She probably had a little help," Leo grumbled, trying hard not to look at Sam. But she still heard him and gave him a hard punch to the arm before she took off after Makayla.

"You **really** shouldn't have said that, bro!" Don chuckled as he and Leo went after her while Mikey and Olivia put on their suction cups. The space was wide, and the abandoned floor silent. The marble tiles shone faintly in the moonlight as a pair of large, wooden doors towered above them.

"Now what?" Makayla asked.

"We knock!" Raph answered before leaping into the air and kicking down the wooden doors. "Like that!"

"Over there!" Mikey shouted, pointing to the girl, who was chained and gagged on a marble statue in the center of the room.

"Tonya!" Raph shouted, sprinting across the room towards the statue. Tonya vigorously shook her head as he climbed onto the statue and untied the gag.

"Raph, no! Get out of here!" she shouted. "It's a trap!"

Just then, the group was surrounded on all sides by myriads of Foot Ninjas; all of them armed and dangerous.

"Very perceptive girl, isn't she Raphie?!" a voice chuckled. Raph turned and drew out his sais as Paulina emerged from the shadows. "What's the matter, lover? Aren't you happy to see me?"

"About as happy as I would be ta see da Shredder standing right in front of me!" Raph snarled, gripping his sai handles tightly. "Or even Little Miss Foot fer dat matter!"

"Then allow **me** to add to the fun!" another voice declared. Karai materialized out of the shadows, holding a katana.

"Karai! What's the meaning of this?!" Leo demanded.

"This matter does not concern you, Leonardo," Karai replied.

"Actually, when you mess with family, it concerns all of us Karai!" Makayla snapped, stepping in front of her boyfriend.

"Who are you?!" Karai demanded, narrowing her eyes at the pixie-haired girl.

"Your worst nightmare!" Makayla growled, getting into a fighting stance.

"Nobody move, or the brat goes for a long flight down the side of this building!" Paulina warned, taking out a knife and moving back towards an open balcony door.

"She's got Caroline tied up out there," Tonya explained. "If she cuts the rope, Care will be pavement pancakes on impact with the concrete."

"But...if you do exactly as I say, Raphie," Paulina cut in, smiling, "I'll let the brat live."

"And Tonya?" Raph demanded.

"Whatever," Paulina scoffed.

"Answer the question, beyotch!" Samantha snapped. Paulina glared at Samantha, who glared right back. It would take more than some psycho ex of Raph's in skin-tight leather and a low-cut shirt to intimidate **her**. A **Hell** of a lot more.

"Yes."

"What do I have to do?" Raph inquired. Paulina smiled, her eyes hard and her grin cold and cruel in nature.

"See that gun?" Paulina asked. Raph looked down and saw the revolver on the statue's base. He nodded. "Pick it up." He did. "Now, aim it at Tonya." Raph stared at Paulina as though she was crazy. Paulina took the knife in hand and slashed at the rope again. He heard Caroline's terrified scream. "Do it." Biting on his lower lip, he pointed the barrel of the gun at Tonya. Then, he froze when he heard her next words.

"Now shoot her."

"Yer sick!" Raph snarled. "No way in **Hell,** Paulina! Dere's nothing on Earth dat could get me ta shot da woman I love?"

"Not even if I let your "woman's" precious, little sister go on a rollercoaster drop that's 180 degrees and **fatal**?" Paulina reminded him, swaying her hips seductively as she made her way back to the balcony, the knife gleaming maliciously in her hand.

"Raph. Do it," Tonya told him.

"What?!" Raph shouted.

"Just do it, Raph, " Tonya told him again, stronger. "Shoot me."

"Tonya, are you insane?!" Makayla demanded.

"There's no way she won't hurt Care, Tonya!" Samantha added. "Don't do it!"

"I won't do it, babe! I **can't**!" Raph told her, shaking his head frantically, his hands shaking badly as he held the gun in his hands. "I...I...I love you too much. I could **never** hurt you!"

"Tick tock, Raphie!" Paulina chuckled, resting the knife on the fraying rope.

"Please, Raphael!" Tonya begged. "Just promise me that you'll help take care of Care for me."

"I'll always be dere for her, and so will you!" Raph countered.

"But I'm gonna die someday, Raph. Whether it's right now or seventy years from now, I'm still going to die. And...I'd rather die by your hand than by some psycho whore with an inferiority complex." Raph hesitated and then got a determined look on his face. He raised the gun, but he whirled around and pointed it at Paulina instead of his girlfriend.

"Ya ain't gonna die today, Tonya!" Raph told her firmly. "Not by my hand, babe. And **definitely** not as long as **I'm** still breathing!" Then, he addressed Paulina. "And as for **you**, I think **I'm** da one holdin' all da cards now! Now tell me why in da Hell you'd do dis?!"

"I...I guess I was just jealous," Paulina confessed. Raph lowered the gun slightly. "I mean, I never really got over our breakup. You were different Raph. You made me feel human for the first time in my life, and...I really missed that. I'm sorry, Raphael. For everything. Forgive me?"

"First things first. Hand over Care," Raph ordered gently, the gun hanging by his side.

"Alright," Paulina replied. Then, she turned around and with an evil smirk, slashed right through the fraying rope. Caroline screamed in utter terror as the rope slacked and she plummeted towards the street below.

"Care!" Tonya screamed, struggling against the chains. "CARE!"

"Oops. My bad," Paulina said, holding a hand to her heart while smiling evilly.

"You just made a **really** big mistake!" Makayla growled before launching herself forward, only to be kicked away by Karai. Landing on her feet, she clenched her teeth as the ninja woman sheathed her sword and got into a fighting stance. The two circled one another before Karai sprang in for the attack. Leo and the others whipped out their weapons and immediately jumped into the fray of Foot Ninjas. Leo battled hard and watched as Makayla and Karai fought hard against each other. Twice he saw the Shredder's adoptive daughter land brutal hits to Makayla's face and chest, sending the young girl to the floor. But she always got back up, injured, weakened, but still determined.

"Don, help Mac!" Leo shouted.

"She can hold it together on her own, Leo!" Don countered as his bo staff dealt out blows left and right.

"I can't let her fight Karai alone!" Leo protested. Just then, he saw Makayla nail Karai in the face with a sharp, powerful kick that sent her flying backwards. He smiled. "On second thought, maybe I should reconsider some of my male, chauvinistic assumptions on women in combat."

"You still haven't done that?!" Samantha teased as she sliced down another ninja and found herself battling back-to-shell with Leo in a circle of Foot Ninjas. "After all the times you've seen me fight?!"

"You're...an exception, Samantha," Leo replied, smiling slightly. "In a good way." She smiled over her shoulder at him.

"Careful, little girl!" Karai chuckled as she threw another punch at Makayla, who had seen the entire exchange between Leo and Sam. "Don't be a fool like Princess Bushido and long for what you can't have!"

"What are you talking about?!" Makayla growled.

"He'll never be yours," Karai told her. "No matter what you do, how you dress, what you say. Leonardo belongs to another. You cannot have him."

"Then I'll make sure that **you** never sink your claws into him, either!" Makayla snarled before she went in for a full attack. But this time, Karai pulled out all the stops. And soon, Makayla was flying backwards into the wall, slamming into it hard and falling to the ground.

"Mac!" Leo shouted as he and Sam leapt over two Foot Ninjas and raced towards her. Karai beat them to her though, and was towering over her, sword raised, when Makayla seemed to gain strength from nowhere and landed a hard, uppercut punch to Karai's jaw that sent the ninja stumbling backwards.

"Mac! Are you OK?!" Leo asked as he and Samantha helped her up off the ground. Her face was bruised and her lip was split. She looked like she'd been to Hell and back fighting Karai, which made Samantha's teeth clench.

"A little sore, but otherwise fine!" Makayla gritted out, her arm slung around Leo's neck.

"Raph! Cut Tonya down and let's go!" Leo commanded. Raph nodded and drew out his sais again.

"Don't move!" Paulina shouted, holding a rectangular remote in her hand. "That statue's got motion-sensitive bombs built inside the base and inside this entire room. You activate them the moment you stepped on that statue, Raphie. Move an inch to help your girlfriend, and we'll all be blown to kingdom come!"

"You rotten, conniving little-!" Makayla growled, but just then someone tapped Paulina on the shoulder. She turned around and was greeted by a flying fist that slammed into her face and knocked her backwards onto the ground hard. The remote flew out of her hand and skidded across the floor, lying close to the window of the balcony.

"You can go to Hell, lady!" snarled Caroline. "Nobody throws me off a balcony or threatens my sister!"

"Care!" Raph and Tonya shouted.

"That's my name! Don't wear it out!" Caroline replied, smirking. "Or you're buying me a new one!"

"But...how?!" Tonya asked, looking completely shocked but grateful.

"I believe **we** can answer that," Mikey said as he and Olivia appeared behind Caroline. "We were scaling the wall and saw Care hanging on a balcony by the wrists. 'Liv said we should stay out of sight and wait until Raph's psycho ex was out of sight. But then, she cut the rope and we grabbed Care before she went skydiving without a parachute."

"You are so corny!" Olivia groaned playfully, hitting him on the shoulder.

"Uh guys! Worry about that later!" Samantha said as she kicked away the last of the Foot Ninjas. "Right now, we've gotta book before this place blows sky high!"

"Raph, toss me a sai!" Don shouted from the arm of the statue. Raph threw it up to him and he quickly cut through the chains. Raph caught Tonya as she stumbled and Don leapt off the statue and saw the device in the base. "OK. **Don't move a muscle.** This is very delicate work." He took the sai in his hand and began approaching the device. Sweat began breaking out on his forehead as he studied the wires before him.

"Steady Donny," Leo told him as the sai came closer and closer to the blue and black wires.

"Steady!" Mikey gasped.

"You know, you guys aren't helping this one bit," Don informed them, glaring at them. They muttered apologies before crowding back in and watching . Swallowing hard, Don slid the sai underneath the black wire and then slit it. Squeezing his eyes shut, he waited for the explosion, the flames and the screams. But instead, there was silence. He opened his eyes and saw that everyone was still in one piece.

"I think I did it!" Don whispered in awe. Everyone cheered and Samantha threw her arms around Donatello's neck and kissed him on the cheek.

"Guess again, Turtles!" Karai shouted. Heads whipped around as they saw Paulina, on her knees, grasping the remote. "That remote will re-activate the device!"

"Den let's book!" Raph shouted, scooping Tonya up bridal style and leaping off the statue the same instant that Paulina's finger pressed the detonator. Explosions rocked the room as the statue and walls began exploding simultaneously, blasting fragments everywhere and igniting fires.

"Move it!" Leo ordered as they all hurried out of the room and were shot through the window by the blast of the explosion. Thankfully, the force propelled them onto an adjacent roof. Glass, marble and plaster rained down onto the abandoned streets below as the explosion ripped through the 73rd floor.

"Think Paulina and Karai are...?" Leo inquired.

"Not a chance, Fearless," Raph answered grimly, holding Tonya and Care close to him. Makayla grimaced as her bruised cheek throbbed with pain. Don immediately noticed it.

"We'll take you back to the Lair and patch you up, Mac," Don offered. "I can..."

"I'll take care of it, Donny," Leo cut in firmly, picking up Makayla bridal style. Don and Samantha exchanged smirks before they turned to Leo. "What?!" he asked. "You think I don't know basic first aid?!"

"Never said a word, Leo," Samantha replied, sending a sly wink at the two of them. Makayla blushed and Leo rolled his eyes at Sam. Then, he hurried off towards Queens with the young judo fighter in his arms.

"We'll see you guys later," Don said before he and Samantha took off across the rooftops for Westchester County.

"C'mon. Let's get you two home," Raph told Tonya and Care, looping an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder. "I know somebody who's pretty anxious ta see ya both."

* * *

Makayla's room was large and spacious. The walls were painted a calming shade of blue, and it was very orderly. _Déjà vu_, Leo thought to himself as he saw the stacked textbooks on her desk by her large, four-poster bed. A laptop lay closed on it. The cream-colored carpet was soft and plush as he crossed the floor with Makayla in his arms. He laid her down gently on her bed.

"Where do you keep your bandages and medicine?" Leo inquired.

"Medicine cabinet in the bathroom," Makayla replied. "Down the hall, second door on the right."

Leo nodded and then slipped silently out of the room and down the hall. Opening the second door on the right, he found the medicine cabinet directly over the bathroom sink. Opening it, he took out cotton swabs, cotton balls, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, a clean, white cloth and some bandages. He came back into the room and sat down beside Makayla, who was resting her head on a pillow but immediately sat up when Leo came back. He poured some of the peroxide onto the cloth and set the bottle on the table.

"Hold still. This might hurt a little," Leo warned as he dabbed the cloth gently at the cut on her lips.

"Ouch!" she cried, flinching back from him. "That stings!"

"I warned you," Leo reminded her, smiling slightly. He remembered how he'd reacted almost the same way when Samantha had been treating his injuries when he'd almost drowned in the river during the gang war that had almost destroyed New York.

"Yeah. Don't remind me," Makayla muttered, looking away from him. Leo frowned and gently tilted her face back towards him with his hand.

"Mac, I only wanted to keep you out of danger," he whispered. "I didn't warn you to stay out of the fight because I doubted your fighting skills."

"Well...after what happened today, maybe you should."

"You were terrific out there, Makayla. I'm really proud of you."

"Proud of me?! Leo, the last time I checked, your ninja girlfriend handed me my ass on a silver platter! In front of you!"

"First of all, Karai is **not** and **never** will be my girlfriend! Second is that she's a trained, ninja assassin and you're an eighth-level judo fighter whose body's still recovering from being **shot**! She had the upper hand, but you still gave her a run for her money! I mean, that punch to the face almost knocked her out! I was downright impressed!"

"Really? You're not just saying that to comfort me?"

"C'mon. Would I do that to you?"

"Considering that it's you and not Raphael, then...yes!"

"I resent that!"

Makayla smirked. "Resent it all you like, Fearless. It's still true."

Leo mirrored her smirk. "Oh yeah?!" Before she could react, he tackled her backwards onto her bed, her hands on his plastron, his body hovering over hers. "You wanna know what else is true?"

"What?"

"That you are one of the most amazing girls I've ever met," Leo whispered to her before he kissed her. The kiss started off sweet and gentle but quickly turned passionate as Leo deepened it. Makayla's arms pulled him down recklessly close to her body as Leo gingerly slid his tongue into her mouth. It met with hers and a sweet battle commenced which end with Leo as the victor. Makayla's hands slid up his neck and over his bald head, resting on the knot of his mask. His hands slid down from her face down her sides and rested on her hips. He felt dizzy and could hear the blood pounding in his ears. Just then, something inside told him to stop and think for a moment about what he was doing and what could happen if they went any further. He wrenched himself away from Makayla and sat back on the edge of the bed.

"Whoa, Mac," he said, breathing harder than normal. "Let's not jump ahead and take things too far just yet."

"Is it me?" she asked, sitting up, her face flushed and her chest heaving up and down.

"Of course not! It's just...we've got time, Makayla. Time to get to know each other and build up to something like this. Trust me. I'm not going anywhere."

"You'd better not," she replied, hugging him tightly. Leo smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Don't worry about that, _tenshi_," Leo told her, smiling as she snuggled closer against him. "I'll always be here for you. I promise."

* * *

"Tonya! Care!" Quincy shouted as he opened the door of his apartment.

"Quincy!" the two girls yelled and embraced their cousin. Raph smiled at the sight of the reunion. He felt warm and fuzzy inside (not that he'd ever admit it).

"Thank God you're safe!" Quincy said, burying his face in Caroline's hair. Then, he looked up at Raph, who was leaning against the doorframe. "Thank you, Raphael! Thank you so much!"

"Don't mention it, Quincy," Raph told him. Just then, Tonya broke away from Quincy and walked towards Raphael. She took his hand.

"Quincy. Would you mind keeping an eye on Care while Raph and I talk?" Tonya asked her cousin, her eyes never leaving Raph's.

"Why can't you say whatever you're gonna tell him-?" Caroline began to ask, but Quincy simply nodded and then tugged Caroline inside the apartment, sending Raph what was supposed to be an intimidating look. The two of them made their way back downstairs and stood at the door of Tonya's apartment.

"Look Raph. I...I'm sorry that I was acting so...irrational back there," Tonya began. "I mean, asking a ninja to take a life, especially one he cares about."

"Ya were looking out fer Care, Tonya," Raph reminded her, taking her hands in his. "I don't blame ya fer dat. But I feel like dis is all my fault. I mean, if I hadn't broken up with Paulina, you wouldn't..."

"Have met the most amazing guy to ever cross my path," Tonya finished, smiling.

"Yeah. I **am** pretty amazing, aren't I?" Raph chuckled, smirking. Tonya groaned playfully and then placed her hand on the back of his neck before drawing him for a deep, passionate thank-you kiss. Raph's response was to pin her against the door, pressing every inch of his body against every inch of hers while his lips collided with hers before breaking apart and then coming back together again. Tonya's hand closed around the doorknob and then, she pulled Raph inside the apartment by the bandana tails, not breaking the kiss for a second. Raph reached behind her and slammed the door shut behind her before trapping her against it.

"Wait." She pulled away, breathing as hard as he was. "Let's take somewhere a little more... _comfortable._"

"Done." Scooping her up bridal style, Raph's lips attacked hers as he carried her down the hallway and into her bedroom. Lying her down on the queen-sized bed inside, the kiss wasn't broken for even a moment. Keeping his hands on either side of her head, Raph's tongue slid across her lips, begging for access, which she happily granted. Her hands slid up his muscled arms and neck and then around to the back of his head where the knot of his bandana rested. With hands trembling with desire, she finally managed to untie the knot and cast the mask on the bed close by. She opened her eyes for a moment and broke away from the kiss when she saw heated, amber eyes gazing into her mint-green ones. Damn, he looked amazing!

"Has anyone ever told you that amber is a sexy eye color?" Raph smirked and slid his hands up to her shoulders. His lips caressed her neck and Tonya moaned, her hips thrusting forward and grinding into his.

"Has anyone ever told _you_ dat you're da hottest girl in Manhattan?"

"Raphael!" she moaned as she felt his fingers unbuttoning her shirt.

"Tonya!" he growled as he pushed her shirt to the sides and found himself face-to-face with Tonya's scarlet-colored, lacy, Victoria's Secret bra. She looked and saw lust, desire and longing in his eyes and smirked.

"You like?" she asked, pushing back some of her hair and unconsciously pushing her chest towards Raphael. His amber eyes went wide, and then he looked back at his girlfriend before two words escaped his lips.

"Hell ya!"

Lips crashed together, and Tonya felt her shirt slide down her arms, but her hands held Raph's face as they kissed fiercely, keeping the shirt somewhat on her. Raph's hands were on her hips, but were now slowly sliding up her back towards the hooks of her bra. They were so caught up in their heated makeout that they didn't hear Tonya's door open or see Caroline enter the room.

"Tonya, Quincy wanted me to tell you that-" Caroline stopped short when she saw what her sister and Raph were doing. "OH MY GOD!" she screamed.

"Care!" Tonya shouted, righting her shirt while Raph reached for his mask and pushed Tonya gently off his lap. The thirteen year old was nothing short of mortified.

"My eyes! My poor, unsullied, virginal eyes!" Caroline screeched, covering her eyes with her hands and scrambling out of the room, screaming about her eyes being scarred forever.

"She is **such** a drama queen!" Tonya exclaimed, rolling her eyes. Raph chuckled, and then Tonya turned back to him. Giving him a playful shove onto his shell, she climbed on top of him, smirking. "Now, where were we?" She leaned down and kissed him, her chest pressing against his plastron, her body completely on top of his. And he, he said something that shocked her and him.

"Tonya. Stop." She broke away and sat up, pulling up her open shirt but leaving it unbuttoned. Raph sat up as well and tied his mask back on. Then, he faced her and looked her dead in the eyes. "We...we can't do this. Not tonight."

"I'm starting to sense a pattern here," Tonya replied, trying not to sound disappointed.

"Tonya. It's not 'cause I don't want ya," Raph explained. "And I hope dis little..._excursion _proved dat once and for all. But, number one: I made da mistake of rushin' into a relationship and getting...physically involved with a girl much too soon. I don't want dat ta happen with you. Number two: sex is **not** da magical cure for trauma, Tonya. Time does dat. Dear God, I sound like Leo!" Tonya chuckled while Raph smirked. "And number three: I want our first time together ta be special. Sorry if I sound like a total...whatever, but...you're different from every other girl I've ever liked, Tonya Harrison. And...I love you. A lot."

"I love you too, Hamato Raphael," Tonya said, smiling a warm, genuine smile that made Raph's heart skip a few beats. He leaned in and kissed her lips so lovingly that she immediately felt her head spinning, her heart beating hard with desire. Then, she felt his fingers skim the lacy edges of the scarlet bra, teasing her.

"Raph!" she groaned. Raph pulled back and smirked, his hands now by his sides.

"Bedtime, sweetheart." Tonya elbowed him lightly in the plastron before snuggling down beneath the sheets.

"Tease," she muttered, causing Raph to chuckle as he pulled the covers over the both of them. She snuggled back against him, his arms draped around her waist, her head resting on his plastron. "Goodnight Raph. And...thanks. For saving me and Care."

"Goodnight, babe." He planted a loving kiss on her forehead and settled back against the pillows. "Sleep well. And...I'd do it again for ya in a heartbeat. You _and _Care." Then, he allowed himself to be taken over by the deep power of sleep and was soon out cold with the girl of his dreams wrapped in his arms, safe and sound and right where she belonged: beside him.

**Aww! How adorable! For those of you who were hoping for some M rated action, be not dismayed. It will come soon between the hotheaded ninja turtle and the hotheaded kickboxer! Anyways, 1 down, 4 to go!**


	60. Chapter 60

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Sixty

Dawn came that day with a lot of haste. Yawning and stretching after a long, peaceful night's rest, Samantha called Tonya's apartment to check up on her best friend.

"Hello?" Tonya grumbled into the phone. She was still half-asleep by the sound of it.

"Hey. Sorry to wake you so early, Tough Girl," Sam apologized, sitting up in her bed. "Just wanted to check up on you and see how you're doing."

"Pretty well considering my boyfriend's psycho bitch ex-girlfriend tried to kill me _and _my sister with the help of some freakin' ninja assassin woman!" Tonya replied.

"Trust me Tonya. Raph's gonna go postal on Karai the next time he sees her. And I'm gonna kick her ass back to Japan!"

"Da Princess calling you?" she heard a familiar Brooklyn accent ask on the other side of the line.

"Yeah. It's fine, baby. Go back to sleep," Tonya told Raph.

"Can't," he told her. "Not now, anyways. Guess I'm gonna just have to do...something else while I wait ta fall back asleep."

"Sam, I..." She heard Tonya groan and did her best not to burst out laughing. "I...I'll call you later, alright?"

"Sure Tonya," Samantha answered, hiding a giggle. "You and Raph...have fun."

"Dat ain't gonna be a problem, Princess!"she heard Raph chuckle before Tonya hung up the phone, leaving a giggly, surprised Samantha getting out of her bed to shower and head down to the Lair.

* * *

Samantha had just gotten to the entrance of the Lair when she heard what sounded like a motorcycle engine coming from behind her. Whipping around, she was blinded by headlights before the motorcycle skidded to a stop, the driver wearing bulky clothes and a red helmet over his head.

"Sup Princess?" the driver asked before he removed his helmet and revealed his face to her.

"Nothing much, Hothead," she replied, smiling. "So...you and Tonya have fun last night?"

"We didn't go all da way if that's what ya were thinking. But if ya **dare** breathe a word to yer boyfriend or Mikey or Leo or Sensei," Raph growled in a menacing voice, "yer gonna seriously regret meeting me! Got it?!"

"Your secret's safe with me, Hothead," Samantha promised as she typed in the code for the Lair security's system. The pipes and doors slid open and revealed the Lair. They heard punching coming from the dojo so they headed over there.

"Hey guys. What's-? Whoa!" Raph said as he, Samantha and the others watched Master Splinter viciously punching a wooden post before doing a few katas. Then, he leapt into the air and, with a powerful kick, he managed to dislodge Raph's punching bag from its chains. Everyone's jaws dropped as, after a series of backflips, Master Splinter sliced through a layer of bricks with his bare paw. The stack of bricks cracked and then crumbled into dust before their very eyes. Master Splinter bowed to them as though they were some sort of opponent.

"Whoa!" Samantha breathed. Master Splinter simply took up his walking stick, walked away from his sons and Samantha and went back into his chambers. The sliding door closed behind him as she and the Turtles stood outside it.

"So, what's up with Master Splinter?" Mikey asked.

"I don't know," Don responded. "He's been training so hard for a while now."

"At least we know where Leo gets his obsession with training from!" Samantha chuckled, earning a playful shove from Leo as the others snickered.

"HA HA, Princess! Laugh it up!" Leo told her, sarcastically.

"But seriously. Why **was **Master Splinter working out so hard?" Don questioned.

"He's been acting kinda whacko for a month now," Raph reminded them. Just then, the doors of Master Splinter's chamber opened and the elderly rat appeared, holding a small sack tied to his walking stick over his shoulder.

"My children. I will be leaving you for a few days," Master Splinter told them. "While I am gone, I want you to be extra cautious. So do not leave the Lair until I return. Princess Bushido-san, I ask that you use your Amulet to get to and from here in my absence. I do not wish to place you in any danger."

"Yes, Sensei. I understand," Samantha said, bowing to Master Splinter respectfully.

"Leonardo, you are in charge," Master Splinter continued as he began to walk away from them. "Keep an eye on the others."

"But where are you going, Sensei?" Leo asked. But the elderly rat just kept walking down the tunnel without stopping, bundle over his shoulder.

"Do not worry," Master Splinter told him without turning around. "I will return soon." The door swung shut behind him.

"OK. Again I pose the question: what's up with Master Splinter?!" Mikey inquired, holding his arms wide.

"I don't know," Leo answered. "But don't you guys remember? He went away like this three years ago."

"Yeah. But where?" Don asked.

"Maybe he's got a girlfriend!" Mikey joked before Raph smacked him hard in the skull. "OW! Hey!"

"There's only one way to find out what Master Splinter's up to," Raph told them. "We follow 'im."

"But he said not to leave the Lair," Leo argued.

"He also said for you to keep an eye on us," Raph countered, smirking. "So **you** keep an eye on us while **we** keep an eye on **him**." Raph and Mikey immediately took off after Sensei followed closely by Don.

"I don't like this," Leo said to Samantha. "Didn't they say that curiosity killed the cat?"

"Good thing none of us are cats then," Samantha laughed as she took off down the tunnel. She stopped at the entrance. "Well? You coming or not, my Fearless leader?" Leo sighed and nodded. Samantha smiled and hurried to catch up with the others, Leo close on her tail. They silently and swiftly followed Master Splinter to a dead-end alleyway. They watched as he took out a piece of chalk before ducking back into the shadows.

Peering out again, they watched their Sensei drawing some of the strange symbols on the wall of the alley. Then, the symbols began glowing purple as Master Splinter began chanting. A puddle of water swirled up from the ground and spread onto the wall over the symbols, swirling into a portal of some sort. For some reason, Samantha felt it looked familiar to her, but she couldn't quite place it. Master Splinter picked up his bundle and walked through the portal. Once he had vanished, the portal disappeared and the water returned to the ground.

"OK? **That **was freaky!" Mikey commented as the five friends walked forward and began inspecting the wall.

"It's rock solid," Mikey told them as he tapped on the bricks with his knuckles.

"Yeah. Just like yer head!" Raph grunted as he tapped on the wall as well.

"Guys! Not the time!" Samantha scolded before turning to Don and Leo. "So, how do we go after him now?"

"Maybe there's a door or something," Don suggested as he started inspecting the wall as well.

"Somehow I think that those symbols and that chanting are what unlock the door to wherever Master Splinter's gone," Samantha theorized.

"That's a possibility," Don agreed.

"You know, the chanting was familiar," Leo told them. "But the symbols...I've never seen them before."

"Well, it looks like Sensei's given us the slip," Mikey informed them, leaning against the brick wall.

"Maybe, maybe not," Don countered. "Sensei also taught us where there's a will...and some UV lighting, there's a way." Taking out the purple light, Don scanned the wall and was able to uncover the symbols.

"Nice work, Donny!" Leo told him. "Now, you got any chalk in your magic Bag of Tricks?"

"Does the square root of 196 equal 14?" Samantha shot back. Don smirked and Leo rolled his eyes as Don took out a piece of chalk and handed it to Raph, who retraced the symbols with it as Don held the UV light steady.

"Dat oughta do it," Raph told them as he stepped back from the finished symbols. "Alright, Leo. Give it a shot."

"Think you can remember the chant?" Samantha inquired, turning to the blue bandana turtle.

"Are a ninja's two best friends stealth and invisibility?" Leo threw back with a small smirk. Sam rolled her eyes as Leo chuckled and closed his eyes before beginning the same chant that Master Splinter had done. The water once again came up over the symbols and swirled into the portal.

"Did it work?" Leo asked, opening one eye. "No way!" he gasped.

"Nice work, Leo," Don said to his brother.

"Not too shabby if I do say so myself," he said, smirking at Sam.

"Cocky bastard!" she muttered, hip-checking him before she walked towards the portal. "C'mon! Let's find out where this goes!" Just then, Don caught her arm and pulled her back. "What is it?"

"We don't know what's on the other side of this thing," Don reminded her. "It could be dangerous."

"Which is why **Mikey's** going first," Raph told them, smirking as he grabbed the orange bandana turtle by the shoulder.

"Ya know...maybe this isn't such a great idea after all!" Mikey said before Raph shoved him, shell first, into the portal.

"Coming guys?" Raph asked, smirking as he stepped through the portal. Samantha smiled and dashed in after him followed by Don and Leo. Tumbling down what seemed like a huge waterfall, the four Turtles and the ninja princess ended up in a pile of grey mud in what seemed like a giant forest.

"Now where are we?" Leo asked as they got up and dusted themselves off.

"Definitely not Earth," Don replied as they scanned the surrounding area. Trees and mountains stood tall. Boulders were scattered across the dry landscape. Nearby, Samantha spotted a large building that looked like a palace, and suddenly, it all came rushing back to her. The symbols, the chanting, the palace. She knew where they were and what Master Splinter was doing here. "But if I had to guess, I'd say it's some sort of world between worlds. Between _dimensions_ even. A nexus."

"Yeah!" Mikey agreed. "You mean some point of overlapping sub-space commonality!" Everyone stared at him in surprise. "What?! Donny's not the only Turtle who watches _Star Trek_ ya know!"

"Of course! Why didn't I realize it sooner?!" Samantha said aloud, slapping a hand to her head.

"What do you mean, Samantha?" Leo asked.

"Donny's right. This **is** a nexus," she answered as they all gathered close to her. "That palace over there. I know who it belongs to. It's..." Just then, another purple portal opened up right beside where they were standing.

"Heads up, guys! Another one of dem doors is opening!" Raph warned them, drawing his sais. Just then, four objects came shooting out of the portal and landed in front of them. Samantha gasped as they began transforming into thin, skeleton-like warriors with three feathers on one shoulder. They were grey and looked like mud aliens of some kind with narrow eyes. Don immediately put Samantha behind them as he and Mikey drew their weapons.

"Hold on! Maybe they mean us no harm!" Leo told them. Just then, the four aliens all drew out curved blades that glinted with a deadly sheen when the faint light hit them.

"You were saying, Fearless leader?" Raph asked pointedly as Leo drew out his katanas.

"You sit this one out, Sam," Don told her before they sprung into action. Samantha felt useless, but she knew that Donny just didn't want her concussion acting up again.

"We don't have time for this!" Leo snapped.

"I don't think we have a choice," Don countered as the four alien warriors came rushing towards them again. Raph dodged a slice and watched as a tree fell to the ground between him and one of the aliens.

"Damn!" Samantha whispered.

"Man! Those things are just a little sharp! Yikes!" Raph shouted before dodging another swing, but got kicked away instead. Samantha watched as the aliens seemed to be winning. But when one of them sliced through Leo's katanas, completely destroying the blades, Samantha knew that things were about to get ugly.

"My katanas!" Leo yelled before getting in close and taking the alien down with a kick.

"Leo's got the right idea, guys!" Raph shouted to his brothers. "Get in close to these bozos!" The Turtles followed their leader's example and took down the aliens in a matter of minutes. Leo knelt down next to his broken katanas. Samantha stood and walked over to his side, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Preliminary round completed in 54.3 quagons," announced a familiar voice. Samantha turned and saw Gyoji floating down on his cloud, holding a scroll. "The Gongtai are eliminated from the competition." The four, skeleton-like aliens all lined up and bowed to the Turtles and Samantha. "Now, if you Slontags will..."

"Slontags?!" Don repeated in confusion.

"Are you talking ta us?!" Raph demanded. Just then, another portal opened up and four, green aliens armed with swords came crashing down hard in front of them. Everyone drew their weapons.

"Wait a moment! This is not correct!" Gyoji observed as the real Slontags began approaching the Turtles. "There has been some mistake. The Gongtai were to fight the Slontags! Not you Earthers! In fact, the only Earther registered is Hamato Splinter!"

"Hamato Splinter?!" Raph shouted as everyone sheathed their weapons.

"Master Splinter?" Mikey asked.

"Where is he?!" Leo demanded, pointing one of his broken katana points at Gyoji. Mikey and Samantha immediately pulled him back.

"This is not as it should be," Gyoji told them. "Now I must reschedule the match between the Gongtai and the Slontags!" With a wave of his paddle, a bright, blue sphere surrounded Gyoji and the aliens and then, they vanished.

"What the shell was **that** all about?!" Mikey inquired.

" I don't know and I don't care!" Raph snapped, crossing his arms over his plastron. "The sooner we find Master Splinter, the sooner we can blow dis popsicle stand!"

"But first, Leo, come here for a moment," Samantha said, walking back over to his katana blades. "I'm going to try and use my Amulet to repair them."

"Alright," Leo agreed, holding the blades close to where they had been snapped. Praying that this would work, Samantha closed her eyes and placed the Amulet over the tips of both the broken blades, focusing on repairing them and strengthening them. Leo let out a gasp that made Samantha's eyes burst open. The katanas were repaired and shone brightly in the light.

"Harry Potter's _Reparo_ spell's got nothing on the Amulet of Bushido!" she crowed, smiling. "How do they feel, Leo?"

"Brand new and...stronger, somehow," Leo said, smiling as he started slicing in both directions with his newly-repaired katanas. Samantha had to duck to avoid being struck by the blades more than once.

"Hey! Quit being so trigger-happy with those things!" she laughed as she ducked another sword stroke. "Some of us actually _like_ having our heads attached to our necks!"

"Oops. Sorry," Leo apologized before sheathing his katanas. He smiled at her and then threw his arms around her. "Thank you, Samantha Bushido."

"No prob-" Samantha was cut off when Leo leaned in and kissed her softly on her cheek. It was gentle, tender, even...loving. She felt her heart beating a little faster in her chest, and she wanted him to kiss her again, even though her mind was screaming out how wrong this was.

"You're incredible," he whispered to her, smiling as he kissed her forehead as well before leaning away from her. Samantha's face was tomato-red with the heat of a blush. She looked away from him, praying that her eyes didn't betray the turmoil she was feeling inside of herself.

"Looks like you'd better watch yer back, Einstein," Raph whispered to Don as he watched Leo gently help Samantha up from the ground. "'Cause I think dat someone else has got an eye on yer girl." Don scowled and gritted his teeth.

"C'mon," Leo told them. "Let's find Master Splinter." The five of them began walking through the forest. Deer grazed in nearby fields and trees lined the path.

"Well...at least Gyoji is familiar," Don informed them as they walked through the forest.

"All I remember is that Gyoji works fer dat creep: De Ultimate Ninja!" Raph added as a hot spring sprung up beside him.

"I think Master Splinter's got the 4-1-1 on all this," Mikey theorized as they leapt across the bubbling hot springs on rocks. "He seemed to know a lot more about that Ultimate Ninja business than he was telling!"

"Man! If I ever see dat Ultimate Ninja creep again, I'm gonna...gonna..." Raph immediately stopped his rant and stared down at what looked like an arena. "What da shell?!

"Master Splinter!" Samantha shouted as she gazed down and saw the rat dodging blows from a large, blue giant with four arms, a blond beard and blond hair.

"Hang on Sensei! We're coming!" Leo yelled as they slid down the hill.

"Guys wait!" Samantha protested, but before the Turtles could reach Splinter, a blue shield surrounded them much like the one from Leo's match with the Ultimate Ninja. Samantha was standing outside the sphere just as Gyoji appeared.

"Battle Nexus rules clearly state that there can be no external interference between contestants!" Gyoji told them firmly. Raph immediately begun trying to break the shield. Just then, Master Splinter hit the ground hard and was slow to get up. The giant picked up a giant tree and uprooted it before approaching Master Splinter.

"Master Splinter!" Raph yelled.

"C'mon, Sensei! Don't give up!" Samantha muttered under her breath. Just then, Sensei dodged the potentially fatal hit and managed to kick the giant in the face two times. Grabbing onto his beard, he swung away and dodged more blows before delivering two more blows that floored the giant completely. Samantha smiled. He'd won the match!

"Master Splinter!" the boys yelled as they rushed towards their Sensei, Samantha trailing close behind them. They were bombarding him with questions, but Sensei's angry face was enough to tell them that answers were the last thing he was going to give them.

"You were **supposed** to stay at home!" Master Splinter growled. "Not follow me! Leonardo, I am **very** disappointed!"

"I'm...sorry, Sensei," Leo apologized. "But I...I..."

"Don't blame Leo, Master Splinter," Raph cut in. "I...I kinda talked him into it." Just then, a bright flash of blue light blinded them as Gyoji appeared beside them.

"Victory for Hamato Splinter of Dimension 3rd: Earth!" Gyoji declared, sticking a stand with some Japanese symbols into the ground. Then, he vanished. Just then, the blue giant approached Master Splinter.

"Protect Master Splinter!" Leo commanded as the four Turtles hurried in front of their master and prepared to fight.

"Guys! Hold it! It's OK!" Samantha shouted, jumping in front of them, arms outstretched. The Turtles looked confused.

"She is right! Djinn is **not** an enemy!" Master Splinter told them as he passed them all and approached the giant.

"Well fought, comrade!" the giant said, chuckling. "I had such hopes of beating you!"

"And you almost did, old friend," Splinter chuckled. "It was a valiant match. _Domo arigato_." He bowed to Djinn.

"You four should be honored to have one such as Splinter for a Sensei," Djinn said to the shocked Turtles. "He is somewhat of a legend in these parts."

"He is?!" Don asked in shock.

"By Thor's hammer!" Djinn shouted, slapping a hand to his head. "Do you mean he hasn't told you?!" Splinter rubbed his head and smiled modestly as Djinn laughed. "Oh! This is rich! Very rich indeed!" Then, he spotted Samantha and the Amulet and gave a bow to her. "And you've even managed to find Bushido's daughter! But surely **she** has told of your Sensei's legendary feats here as well as those of her father?!"

"What?!" Raph asked as all eyes turned to Samantha. "You knew about Splinter dis whole time?!"

"Your father came to the Battle Nexus?" Leo questioned.

"I don't remember a lot because I was a child when it all happened," Samantha answered. "I didn't even know of Hamato Yoshi or Master Splinter then. I only heard from my father that they represented our planet with honor and the dignity of true warriors."

"Of course! You were still young when all this happened, my dear!" Djinn remembered. "I beg your pardon, Your Royal Highness!"

"Granted, Djinn," Samantha told him, smiling. "And call me Samantha." She turned to Don. ""Your Royal Highness" is starting to get to be _quite_ annoying to me!"

"Thank you, Princess. Now, let me tell you a story about your Sensei!" Djinn told them. The Turtles all smiled at one another and Samantha.

"I'd rather that you did not, old friend," Master Splinter argued gently.

"It's alright, comrade," Djinn replied, patting him on the back. "Listen up, young ones." Samantha listened as Djinn told the story of how not long after Master Yoshi was crowned the Battle Nexus Champion, Master Splinter himself entered the competition. But in the final match against a dragon named Drako, Drako broke Splinter's leg. The match was halted and Master Splinter was given the chance to forfeit, but he refused. He made himself a splint and continued battling Drako until he was victorious over the dragon.

"Splinter was the new champion of the Big Brawl!" Djinn finished.

"Our Sensei...the greatest warrior in the multiverse," Leo breathed in amazement.

"It was nothing," Master Splinter told them modestly, smiling a bit. "But there was one who was greater than me or even my Master Yoshi at the Battle Nexus."

"Who was it?" Don asked. Master Splinter turned and looked at Samantha, a warm smile on his face.

"Your father, Princess Bushido-san," Master Splinter told her, smiling at her shocked expression. "It was long years before you were born. He was the first human to be crowned Battle Nexus Champion after an amazing comeback against a fierce alien warrior who had cut his arm so deeply that he'd lost much blood. Still, he continued and went on to win the match and the title of Champion of the Multiverse."

"Wow! I knew Father was ambitious, but this is a whole other level!" Samantha said in awe. Her father had been the first _human_ Battle Nexus Champion? Why he had never told her the story? She'd been taken to watch the Battle Nexus as a child a few times and had noticed that many people fawned over her and her father, but she had always assumed that it was because they were _real_, Earth royalty. Now, she knew better.

"This is **huge!**" Mikey crowed.

"I won the competition. That is all," Master Splinter replied modestly.

"It's like finding out your dad is...Superman!" Mikey continued in excitement.

"Ah, but there's more," Djinn continued. "Dark deeds were afoot that day." He went on to tell of how Drako's shadow warriors attacked Sensei, using dishonorable tactics to hurt him further. A samurai rabbit had intervened and come to Splinter's aid, but Drako seized them both and was about to destroy them. Then, the Damiyo intervened with his war staff and stopped the attack. Drako had fled like a coward, but Samantha suspected that the dragon desired revenge on Splinter and the samurai rabbit.

"He has not been heard of since," Djinn finished.

"Wow!" Don breathed. "It's all...so..._cool_!"

"But Drako did not only try to harm Splinter and the samurai," Djinn informed them. "Princess, do you remember the time when your father was deathly ill?"

"Umm...yes," Samantha replied after thinking for a moment. "Yes. I was about ten years old when it happened. Yoshi came and told me that my father was greatly ill with a fever and pains. He took me to his room to...say goodbye. That was the first time I met the Damiyo. He appeared with his war staff and summoned people to tend to my father."

"Because they were the only ones who could heal your father's ailment properly," Djinn told her.

"What was wrong with him?" Leo questioned.

"I found out much later that he'd been..._poisoned_," Samantha replied. "But I always thought that it was the Shredder who'd tried to kill my father. Why would Drako do something like that? They didn't even know each other."

"No. But Drako knows of the Prophecy Scroll," Master Splinter cut in. Samantha's face went pale as chalk.

"That...that...that **can't be!**" she stammered. "No one else but you, my father and I have seen the Prophecy Scroll! The Heads assured me of it!"

"The Heads ignored the fact that Drako would have spies shadowing the Damiyo," Master Splinter explained, his voice sounding harder at the mention of the Heads. "One of them overheard your father and the Damiyo speaking about the Prophecy Scroll, but he heard only them mention Bushido and myself and then went to report back to his master. Drako then decided to end Bushido's life to stop the prophecy from coming true."

"But he didn't know that he went after the wrong Bushido," Samantha finished. "The Prophecy was speaking of me."

"What prophecy?" Raph demanded. "What da shell are you guys talking about?!"

"All will be explained when the time is right, Raphael," Master Splinter jumped in, intervening for Samantha. Just then, another purple vortex appeared and the Damiyo emerged from the vortex with a few people trailing behind him.

"We are honored by your return, Sensei," the Damiyo told him, bowing.

"It is **I **whom am honored," Master Splinter replied, bowing in return.

"I cannot tell you what a pleasure it is to see my old friend in the ranks of such gallant warriors," the Damiyo told him before his eyes spotted Samantha and the Turtles nearby. He bowed to the ninja princess. "Ah, Princess Bushido. Welcome to the Battle Nexus. It has been years since we last saw you here. It is about time that Earth had a royalty member representing it."

"Thank you, Honorable Damiyo," Samantha told him, bowing respectfully. "I am honored to be here."

"And now your sons are here to compete," the Damiyo observed, spotting the Turtles. "This is a great day!"

"They **were **supposed to stay at home!" Master Splinter said, glaring at the five of them. Raph and Leo rubbed their heads and blushed.

"Noble Damiyo. The four Earthers were not registered properly," Gyoji informed him. "However, they **did** win a match in the qualifying round."

"Excellent! Then by my decree, they shall be entered into the contest!" the Damiyo declared. The four Turtles smiled and then turned to their Sensei. "If you deem it acceptable, my friend."

"I thought that perhaps they were not ready to compete," Master Splinter thought aloud for a moment. The Turtles' faces fell, but then Sensei smiled. "But perhaps fate is showing an overprotective father that his sons are growing up." The Turtles' smiles popped right back up on their faces. "Yes. They may enter."

"Now that **that** has been settled, there is an important point of honor that must be addressed," the Damiyo said. Just then, a purple cloud swirled into view and materialized into the Ultimate Ninja, who kneeled at the side of his father before rising to his feet. "By my son."

"**You**!" Don growled, striding forward to knock him out, but Mikey grabbed him and held him back.

"You again?! What is dis?!" Raph demanded, whipping out his sais and twirling them. "Some sort of trick?!"

"No! No trick!" the Ultimate Ninja insisted. "I swear it! Honored Sensei!" he said, bowing to Master Splinter. "I know that when last we met, I challenged Leonardo to a mortal duel and kidnapped Her Royal Highness, Princess Samantha Bushido. These were both rash acts, and I humbly apologize for my unwarranted attacks upon your family. I beg your forgiveness."

"Look who's turned over a new leaf!" Raph scoffed under his breath to the others.

"I don't trust him!" Don growled, narrowing his eyes at the Ultimate Ninja, who had just cast his eye on Samantha.

"Neither do I," Samantha said to herself. "And I don't think Sensei does, either. But he won't do anything to displease his old friend, the Damiyo."

"Your apology is most gracious," Master Splinter told him. "We accept."

"Come. The next stage of the tournament is about to begin," the Damiyo told them, pounding his war staff. A light surrounded all of them and the next they knew, she and the others were on a stage high above the arena. Below them, the crowds were cheering as the Damiyo walked forward and the warriors were chanting, "Brawl! Brawl!" over and over again.

"Warriors!" the Damiyo declared. "You have travelled from the multitude of diverse universes and I bid you welcome to the Battle Nexus tournament!" The crowds cheered and screamed once more. "To those who have fallen in battle, I salute your bravery and courage. And to those who have passed the preliminary round, I say congratulations and brace yourselves for the combat to come! For now is the time! Let the next round of the Battle Nexus tournament begin!" Raising his war staff, fireworks and confetti exploded in the air above the Battle Nexus arena to the excitement of the crowds.

The Turtles and Samantha looked down into the arena and Samantha saw a Triceraton salute them and smile at them.

"Traximus?!" Leo shouted in disbelief and happiness. Samantha looked at him, confused. "He's a friend we made when the Prime Leader imprisoned us in the gladiators' cell," Leo explained.

"Where?! Lemme see 'im!" Raph shouted as the others crowded in and waved to the Triceraton. Samantha waved as well as the Triceraton bowed to her. Indeed, all the warriors before them bowed to her. The people in the crowds also bowed their heads to her.

"Umm...why they are all bowing to me?" Samantha inquired.

"Of all of the royalty members present, **you** are the most famous, Princess," the Ultimate Ninja informed her, bowing to her. "Please, my friends. Allow me to escort you to your next arena and show you to your dressing room, Princess," the Ultimate Ninja offered, holding out his hand for her to take. She immediately took a step back and felt someone put a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw that it was Leo. Smiling, she placed her hand atop his and saw through the eye slits in the mask of the Ultimate Ninja that his eyes had darkened with rage. _I knew it!_ Samantha thought in her head triumphantly. _He **is **up to something! And it's probably nothing good!_

* * *

"As you can see around you, this is the Pavilion of Past Champions," the Ultimate Ninja explained as they walked down a carpeted hallway lined with statues. "A sort of Hall of Fame." He stopped close to the end of the hallway. "Here are three statues that may interest you."

"Whoa!" Leo said in awe.

"Awesome!" Don breathed.

"Amazing!" Samantha whispered.

"Imagine! Our Sensei and **his** Sensei have statues in the Hall of Fame!" Mikey told them, looking at the stone statues of Master Splinter and Master Yoshi.

"And my father," Samantha added as she stared up at the stone figure that reflected her father's image. She felt her heart burning with pride as she looked at the face of the man who'd made history not only on Earth, but also, as it seemed, across the universe.

"Come. We must go," the Ultimate Ninja told the others, walking out of the room.

"Actually, if you guys don't mind, I'd like to stay here for a little while longer," Leo told his brothers. "I'll catch up with you later."

"Remember Leo: don't touch **anything**!" Mikey teased.

"You break it, you bought it, bro!" Raph jumped in, smiling.

"Go on!" Leo laughed, waving his hand at them. "I'll be right behind you." The Turtles smiled and hurried off after the Ultimate Ninja. Leo noticed that Samantha was still at the statue of her father and he heard her whisper, "_Domo arigato_, Father." She bowed to the statue and then looked at him.

"I need to hurry after the others so that the dressers can prepare me. Are you coming?" she asked. Just then, she sensed that they weren't alone in this room. "I think you should come, Leonardo."

"I'll be there in a minute or so," Leo told her, smiling. "I'll be fine, Samantha. Don't worry. Go on ahead with the others. Besides, right now, you don't look much like royalty."

"Jerk!" she muttered, hitting him playfully on the shoulder. He laughed and stumbled back a bit, rubbing his "injury". Then, she leaned and kissed him on the jaw, close to his mouth.

"Be careful," she whispered, her lips almost brushing his before she turned and ran off after the others, leaving Leo confused and still blissfully unaware of the Dark Ninja Assassins that were emerging from behind the statues to kill the ninja turtle, who had turned back to the two statues and had his hands clasped in front of him and his eyes closed. One of them drew out a crossbow and aimed it right at the terrapin's neck and prepared to let the shaft fly and end their master's enemy's life.

**Oh crud! Cliffhanger! But a brief one! 2 down and 3 to go!**


	61. Chapter 61

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**D****isclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Sixty-One

The Ultimate Ninja led the remainder of the group down a hallway and stopped in front of a great, blue door.

"Princess Bushido, this is your dressing room," he informed her. "Your dresser is inside waiting for you. I only hope that Sakura's skills in dressing royalty will do you justice."

"Sakura is still here?" Samantha questioned, remembering a woman with long, flowing hair who dressed in fancy robes dressing her once when she was a child and had come with her father to watch the Battle Nexus competition.

"Yes."

"Then I'm in good hands," was all she said before the doors swung open. Giving the Turtles a cheery wave and smile, she stepped into the room and watched as the doors closed behind her. The room was quite large and spacious with silk screens and dressing tables everywhere. Large wardrobes lined the walls of the room as she walked on the beautiful, polished, hardwood floors.

"Little Samantha Bushido? Is that you?!" Sakura cried, floating towards her. Samantha smiled and nodded before the royal dresser let out a delighted scream and hugged her. Sakura smelled of cherry blossoms and fine perfume, a comforting smell to the young woman. She found herself wondering if her mother had ever had a specific scent to her. Her father had never mentioned it, but neither had her Uncle Kenji.

"You've grown into a young woman! And a beautiful one, too!" Sakura said, pulling back and looking at the young, ninja princess carefully. Then, she set Sam down, placing her before one of the dressing tables. "Now, we need to make you the rival of all dimensional royalty! Let's start with those locks of hair!" Grabbing a bottle from off of the huge dressing table, Sakura poured the liquid onto Samantha's hair and watched as the dull, brown locks gleamed chestnut like how they were supposed to and were curly as well.

"Let's leave it loose," Sakura decided as she reached for a book of gowns. "Now, I'm thinking that **this** dress would be absolutely perfect for you, my dear! What do you think?!" She turned the book to Samantha, and the young woman beheld a Roman goddess styled dress. One-shouldered, it reached about mid-thigh and was red with two, gold stripes running across horizontally. It was longer at the back, but the ends of the red fabric were attached to two, golden cuffs which would be worn on her wrists. It looked astounding!

"It's beautiful! And red's my favorite color!" Samantha squealed. Sakura looked pleased and shut the book. Taking out a staff almost identical to the one the Damiyo carried, she banged it on the floor once, a bubble surrounded her and then Samantha found herself wearing the red, Roman goddess dress. But that wasn't all. She was wearing gold, sandal-like heels that were laced up to her knees. Her face had been made-up perfectly as she stared in a little hand mirror that the royal dresser handed to her. Gold-colored eye shadow, foundation and a beautiful shade of red applied to her lips. She barely recognized the beauty standing in front of her.

"And now for the _piece-de-resistance_!" Sakura declared, holding out a golden tiara sparkling with rubies. She set it atop Samantha's head, and then she stepped back to study her work.

"It needs something else," she muttered to herself, tapping her chin. "I've got it!" she shouted, hurrying over to the dressing table. When she came back, she was holding a golden heart studded with diamonds. Sakura quickly attached the necklace around Sam's neck and studied her again.

"I don't suppose that Amulet is removable, my dear?" Sakura inquired, gazing at the amulet. Samantha shook her head.

"Even if it could come off, Sakura, I could never leave it here where it could easily fall into the wrong hands," Samantha replied. "This Amulet has cost me too much for me to be careless with it." Sakura nodded in understanding. She had heard the news of Bushido's passing, but she'd been unable to attend the funeral with the Damiyo and his son.

"Let's just hope that your warriors will be able to focus on their battles and not on their stunning royalty member!" Sakura giggled. Samantha giggled as well and the two of them were soon giggling like a pair of high school girls who'd just seen a hunk walk by them. Opening the doors of the dressing room, she saw Gyoji coming towards her, floating on his small cloud, paddle in hand.

"It is time for the royalty members of the different dimensions to be lined up so that they can be presented before the next round of battles begin, Your Royal Highness," Gyoji informed her, bowing to her.

"Yes Gyoji. I'll be along in a minute," she told him. "Thank you so much, Sakura-san!" Samantha exclaimed, hugging the royal dresser.

"You are like family to me, Princess Samantha Bushido," Sakura answered, hugging her back. "Ever since you came to the Battle Nexus as a child, I have cared for you, little one. Now, go and make us all proud."

* * *

"Princess Samantha. This way, please," Gyoji instructed. She followed the tiny man and stood behind two, unfamiliar creatures. She had been a child the last time she'd come to watch the Battle Nexus. She could never remember which worlds took part in it.

"Before the round begins, we will honor our multiverse royalty!" the Damiyo declared, earning cheers and shouts from the crowds.

"Royalty members, King Fedoro and Queen Yulita, with warriors Gangrit and Lupo from the planet Haustella!" Gyoji declared. Sam could hear the roar of the crowds who had gathered to watch the greatest gathering in the multi-universe.

"Next, royalty members King Aero and Queen Tismanthia, with warrior Nikita from the planet Armenia!" The two creatures in front of Samantha proceeded onto the stage in the center of the arena and waved to the cheering crowds. They were almost human-like except for their pointy ears and blue skin. And Samantha had to admit that the warrior girl from Armenia was attractive for an alien.

"Next, royalty member Princess Samantha Bushido…" Samantha walked onto the stage and smiled cheerily to the crowd, who stood to their feet and cheered, whistled, clapped and shouted when the Damiyo announced her name, "…with warriors Hamato Splinter, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo from the planet Earth!" From the left side of the arena, Samantha saw three of the Turtles and their Sensei approaching her. When they reached the stage, Splinter held out his hand for her to take. She did and five of them walked towards the large arena where the battles would take place as the Damiyo called out more names. When they finally reached there, they were standing beside a flight of stairs which led to where the royalty members, the Damiyo, his son and the defeated warriors could watch the battles. Samantha turned and saw Mikey, Raph and Don staring at her, jaws hanging.

"Keep your mouths open any longer guys, and you'll catch flies!" she giggled. They quickly snapped their mouths shut.

"Whoa! Sammy, you look…!" Mikey began to say, but then he howled like he was a wolf before panting like a dog, tongue out and all. Raph smacked him in the head.

"Keep yer eyes in yer head, shell for brains!" Raph snapped as Mikey rubbed the ache. Then, he turned to Samantha and smiled. "Although, I gotta admit, Princess: you look **smokin' hot!**"

"Thanks, Hothead." Then, she turned to Don.

"Helen of Troy's beauty launched a thousand ships. But** your** beauty, Samantha, would bring 'em all home," Don said in a smooth voice, smiling flirtatiously. She smiled.

"You look so much like your mother, Princess Bushido-san," Splinter told her, smiling. Samantha beamed at the elderly rat. She had never seen a picture of her mother, her father ordering that all of them be burnt and destroyed after her death. So when people told her she looked like her mother, she was proud to at least have an idea of what this mysterious woman had looked like when she was younger.

"Princess," the Ultimate Ninja breathed, dropping to one knee and bowing to her. "You look astounding. I hope your warriors do you proud."

"I know they will," Samantha responded firmly, smiling at her warriors. "They have proven themselves as more than capable warriors in the past."

"Hey guys! Look! It **is** Traximus!" Raph told them, pointing at the large Triceraton. "Dat gladiator from the Triceraton home world!"

"Imagine Traximus being here!" Mikey commented. "This place just gets wilder and wilder!"

"Where is Leonardo?" Master Splinter asked. "The tournament will start soon!"

"Do not worry, Splinter-Sensei," the Ultimate Ninja told them smoothly. "I am sure Leonardo will be along any moment now!" Samantha stared hard at the Ultimate Ninja and just then, images of Leonardo and a rabbit being attack by Dark Ninja Assassins flashed through her mind. She groaned and quickly steadied herself.

"Sam! What's wrong?!" Don asked as she whipped her head up.

"No time to explain, Donny!" she told him as she snatched the Ultimate Ninja's swords out of their scabbards and dashed off back towards the Pavilion of Past Champions. "Just stay right here! I'll be right back!"

"Princess! Wait!" Raph shouted. He was about to take off after her, but Master Splinter blocked the way with his walking stick.

"No my son!" the elderly rat told him firmly. "You must remain here with us! She will be fine. Trust me."

* * *

The Dark Ninja Assassin had Leo before the bust of a helmet, sword drawn back to strike when Samantha came flying in and struck him hard with the swords. Leo watched in amazement as she turned and kicked up his swords before leaping and turning in the air as she kicked them back into his hands.

"Leo! Catch!" she yelled as the swords came flying back towards him. He leapt up and snatched his katanas and immediately went to work against the Dark Ninja Assassins. Samantha looked and saw the samurai rabbit fighting hard and skillfully against the assassins. Finally, they scurried off up the wall and vanished from the wall.

"Samantha!" Leo shouted. He sheathed his swords and she threw the swords to the sides and ran into his open arms.

"Thank God you're alright," she whispered as they embraced.

"How did you know I was in trouble?" asked Leo.

"You can thank the Amulet for giving me a vision," she informed him, holding up the gold Amulet with the sapphire dragon.

"Guess this thing's becoming more helpful than harmful," Leo observed, taking the Amulet in his hand and studying it.

"Don't jinx it, Leonardo!" she chuckled, whacking him lightly on the shoulder. He smiled and then, he stepped away from her, taking in the Roman goddess-styled dress, the tiara, the makeup, everything about her. She looked absolutely breathtaking.

"What?!" she asked, looking down at herself.

"Nothing," Leo blurted out before he blushed. "I mean...you...I...it's...well...damn, you look _hot_!"

"You are **such **a guy, Hamato Leonardo!" she laughed, throwing her head back. Then, she looked back at him and smiled sweetly. "But I appreciate the compliment. Really."

"You deserve it," he told her, bringing her hand to his mouth and planting a kiss on it.

"Princess," a voice from behind them said. She turned and saw the samurai rabbit holding the swords she'd taken from the Ultimate Ninja in his hands. "Your swords. I must say that you are quite valiant and skilled for a royalty member."

"Thank you, umm..." Samantha said, taking them back before she realized that she didn't know the rabbit's name.

"Samantha, this is Miyamoto  
Usagi," Leonardo introduced, gesturing to the rabbit. "He's the samurai who saved my life from those assassins. Samurai, this is my friend, Princess Samantha Bushido."

"A Bushido? I am honored to make your acquaintance, Princess!" Usagi told her, bowing deeply from the waist.

"It is **we** who are honored, Miyamoto Usagi," Samantha said gratefully as she and Leo bowed to him. "You saved my Protector's life. I am in your debt and will do anything in my power to help you should you ever need it. I shall see to it that the Damiyo rewards you for your bravery and honor."

"I have no need for a reward, Your Highness," Usagi told her, smiling. "Now come. Or we will be late for the tournament." Leo and Samantha nodded, and the ninja princess walked between the two warriors to the arena.

"Where did you get those swords from, Samantha?" Leo inquired.

"From our new "pal": the Ultimate Ninja," Samantha responded, grimacing slightly. "Bet he's not gonna be too happy about that."

"Not particularly, no," Leo agreed as they finally reached the ramp which lead into the arena.

"Good luck, Leonardo-san," Usagi told him, bowing.

"And to you, Samurai," Leo replied, bowing in return before he and Samantha parted ways with Usagi.

"Yo Leo! I thought you weren't gonna show!" Raph told him as he and Samantha approached them. The Ultimate Ninja was standing close by and was hiding the fact that he was displeased at seeing Leonardo still alive.

"And miss the chance to kick your butt in front of the entire universe? I don't think so," Leo chuckled as Samantha hid her giggles behind her palm.

"What took ya, bro?" Don inquired.

"I ran into some trouble in the Pavilion of Past Champions," Leo explained. "I got attacked."

"Attacked?!" the Ultimate Ninja repeated, sounding shocked. "Are you alright?!"

"I'll survive," Leo answered in a flat tone. Samantha put a hand on his shoulder. She knew that he thought that the Ultimate Ninja was responsible for this attack, but she knew that now was not the time or the place to clobber the bastard.

"Thank God the samurai found you in time, Leonardo," she told him as she stared at the Ultimate Ninja. "Even though the Battle Nexus contestants know the concept of honor, there are still those here who would use corruption and murder to further their own ends. Am I right, Ultimate Ninja?"

"As always, Princess," the Ultimate Ninja answered, bowing. "You always **were** very cautious. I do not blame you. And I would encourage your warriors to do the same."

"I will. And here are your swords," she told him, handing him back the two swords. "I thank you for letting me use them to defend Leonardo and the samurai."

"I hoped they served you well, Princess," the Ultimate Ninja said, taking them and sheathing them. "And, were you entering the contest yourself, I know they would have brought you victory."

"That is very kind of you to say. But after such a exemplary fight in the qualifier, I have no doubt that the Battle Nexus Champion will be crowned from my planet," Samantha told him.

"And do you have a favorite among them, Princess Bushido-san?" teased the Damiyo. Samantha hadn't even noticed that he'd come down from his throne.

"I cannot choose between them, Honorable Damiyo," Samantha replied, smiling as she looked at the five warriors. "They are all equally matched, I think." But the Ultimate Ninja leapt on his father's teasing.

"Come now, Princess Samantha!" he chuckled lightheartedly. "Surely, **one** of these warriors has your favor."

Samantha's smile faded as she looked at him and saw something in his eyes that made her certain that he was still out for revenge on her. If she named Donatello as the warrior who had her favor, the Ultimate Ninja would certainly go after him to get to her. She couldn't risk that deranged ninja going after her turtle genius. So, she'd have to throw him off the trail.

"You're right," she said, smiling. "I **do** have a favorite among them." She reached around her neck and unclasped the diamond necklace Sakura had given her. She approached Leonardo and hooked the necklace around his neck. Glancing at Don, who looked shocked and hurt, she threw him a look that read _I'll explain later. Please don't hate me for what I'm about to do. _She looked at Master Splinter as well, and he read her eyes before he nodded.

"Leonardo, you have my favor for the Battle Nexus," she told him, her eyes silently explaining to him what was going on. He read them and nodded, smiling.

"I will not disappoint you, Princess," he replied solemnly, bowing to show his gratitude for being chosen. Then, when he'd lifted his head again, she took his face in her hands and kissed him full on the lips. He was shocked at first, but then he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back. _Damn you, Mac! Your boy can **kiss**! _she thought to herself as Samantha felt the bliss washing over her. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and he pulled her closer to his body. _God, she's incredible! _ Leo thought in his head. _I know this is only pretend, but damn, she's good! Donny, you have no idea what a lucky bastard you are! _Then, Sam remembered that Don was watching and probably wondering what he'd done to deserve something like this. She pulled away from Leo and saw the Ultimate Ninja's eyes darkened with jealousy and hatred. She allowed herself a small smile. She knew he thought that she and Leonardo were together. Now, Don was safe and could focus on winning the Battle Nexus. Don. She glanced at him, but he was gazing at the other warriors in the arena, almost intent on avoiding her eyes.

"Well, after that, I'm anticipating that we shall see Leonardo in the final round," the Damiyo laughed. Leo smiled and blushed while Mikey and Raph exchanged smirks. Don just stared at the ground. Just then, a gong rang and the Damiyo gestured for his son and Samantha to follow him. Quickly, she gave the others a quick peck on the cheek for luck and then followed the Damiyo and his son up to the balcony overlooking the arena.

"Your love for Leonardo is strong, Princess Samantha," the Ultimate Ninja commented casually.

"I know," she replied. "And I wish to bring the dishonorable scoundrel who ordered the attack on him to justice."

"I will aid you in any way that I can, Princess Samantha. Now, if you'll excuse me, I shall look into the attack on your...lover," the Ultimate Ninja told her, bowing to her and his father. He hurried away as she sat with a space between her and the Damiyo. She knew he was fuming inside and would be plotting something to get rid of Leonardo since his assassins had failed to do the job. And all she could do was hope that Leonardo would pull through it and that Don would understand why she'd just done what she did. But Samantha had a funny feeling that this wouldn't be easy to explain to anyone, especially a heartbroken turtle genius.

"Warriors of the First Tier! Begin!" the Damiyo declared as the warriors were now separated into pairs to battle it out with a single blast of energy from the Damiyo's war staff. Samantha watched with great anticipation and visibly smiled when she saw Leonardo and Master Splinter emerge victorious in their battles.

"Young Leonardo is very skilled in battle, Princess Bushido-san," the Damiyo observed. Samantha nodded her agreement. "Yet your heart does not belong with him. At least...not fully."

"What?" Samantha asked. The Damiyo chuckled.

"You and young Donatello are the ones in love," the Damiyo told her, smiling beneath his golden mask. "I could sense it when you looked at him before your...kiss with Leonardo. Though part of you still cares for Leonardo, your heart remains with Donatello. I also know that my son is still quite...enamored with you."

_More like obsessed,_ she corrected him in her head.

"I know my son has done dishonorable things to deserve your disdain, Princess Bushido-san. But could you find it in your heart to possibly...give him another chance?" the Damiyo asked.

_No freaking way! There's no way in **Hell** I'd ever that creep another chance! Even if he **is **your son!_

"I will think about it, Honorable Damiyo," Samantha replied. The Damiyo nodded and they turned back to watch the matches.

* * *

_How could she do this to me?! And in front of the entire universe and her creep of an ex-fiancé at that?! _ Don thought to himself as he battled the alien. _I thought she loved me! I thought she cared about me! But they were all just lies!_

His fighting moves were even sloppier than usual. He would land a hit, but the alien would dodge, block or counter with a better one. He'd never been the strongest fighter of his brothers, but he could still fight when the situation called for it.

So why couldn't he now?

Because he wasn't seeing counterattacks and attack moves that he'd practiced for hours. All he could see was Leo shamelessly having his hands all over **his** girl, kissing her like he had some sort of God-given right to. And Samantha. She'd kissed him back. No shoving him away from her, no breaking away and going on a moral guilt trip. She'd just kissed him like there was nothing wrong with it, like her boyfriend wasn't standing two feet away, watching the entire thing.

In the end, he couldn't control his anger. He couldn't focus. He was pissed off beyond belief. He ended up being smashed to the ground, but just before the alien could deliver the final blow, Donatello vanished from sight and found himself in the midst of a smaller balcony closer to the arena.

"What happened? Where am I?" Don inquired.

"You have been defeated in battle," one of the Healers informed him.

"I'm the first Turtle out?!" Don realized before gripping his bo staff. "My brothers are **never** gonna let me live this down!" His anger was directed at Leo, at Samantha, but mostly, he was angry at himself.

* * *

Raph, Mikey, Usagi, Traximus and a few others were victorious in their battles, but Samantha had seen Donatello lose his match and be the first of her warriors gone. She felt her heart sting with pain, and her stomach felt cold. She wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out again. This was all her fault! She'd thought that by kissing Leo in front of the Ultimate Ninja would've allowed Donny to focus more on the Battle Nexus. Instead, he'd lost because he couldn't keep his mind off of it. Her betrayal had been his greatest hindrance. And it was her fault that the betrayal even existed to begin with. She felt like a whore, and she wanted to die.

"Champions! I commend you on your victories! Now prepare yourselves for Tier 2!" the Damiyo shouted. Samantha gave a cheery wave from the balcony as the crowds roared. Leo and the others waved back at her before a large blob of water transported the victors out of the arena for the moment. Then, the arena was reset and the pairs for Tier 2 separated.

"Tier 2! Begin!" the Damiyo shouted as he pounded the gong with his war staff. She saw Mikey and Master Splinter were facing off against each other as well as Usagi and Leonardo and Raph and Traximus. Just then, Master Splinter bowed to Mikey, who laid a nunchuck on the rat's shoulder and he vanished from the arena to reappear between the Damiyo and Samantha.

"Ah Splinter-san! I see the master of ninjitsu lost to the father in you!" the Damiyo observed.

"Yes," Master Splinter replied, smiling. "I suppose so. It is just that...if my sons can win, I do not wish to stand in their way."

"They will triumph, Sensei," Samantha jumped in. "But many obstacles are in their path. Especially for Leonardo."

"Yes! Miyamoto Usagi is a difficult opponent!" the Damiyo chuckled. "But where has your faith in your favorite gone, Princess?!"

"It is still there, Honorable Damiyo," Samantha answered, gazing down at the arena. "But it is not Usagi I was speaking of when I said many obstacles were in their path," she whispered so that only Master Splinter could hear her. The rat placed a fatherly paw on her hand. He could sense her distress at her rash act with Leonardo and knew that she blamed herself for Don's defeat in Tier 1.

"Sometimes, the best intentions end up feeling like the worst crimes," Master Splinter told her. "But fate is a strange creature, Princess Bushido-san, and sometimes, all fate requires is for us to hope for the chance to better things."

"Thank you, Sensei," she whispered to him, wiping away the few tears that fell from her eyes.

"You should be proud to have raised such fine warriors. And sons," the Damiyo said, and Samantha noticed that he looked quite sad.

"Yes. I am proud," Master Splinter said. "Although they can be quite _willful_ at times."

"If only fathers could make their sons understand we're only trying to protect them...from their own inexperience," the Damiyo sighed.

"Even daughters can be quite willful when they choose to be," Master Splinter said, smirking at Samantha. "Especially when they inherit that trait from their parents. But I know exactly what you mean, old friend," Master Splinter said, turning back to the Damiyo. "But tell me, there is something familiar about this samurai Leonardo faces."

"Miyamoto Usagi?" Samantha jumped in. "It's hard to believe that the samurai who saved his life from Dark Ninja Assassins is now fighting him, isn't it?"

"Dark Ninja Assassins?!" the Damiyo repeated, looking horrified.

"Peace Damiyo-san. They have gone, fleeing like the cowards they are," Samantha replied.

"But that samurai should look very familiar to you," the Damiyo informed Master Splinter. "He is the same samurai-in-training who came to your aid all those years ago when Drako ambushed you. He is already a ronin at his age, but his sword arm is skilled far beyond his years." Just then, one of the guards handed the Damiyo a note. He excused himself from Master Splinter and Samantha and hurried away from them. Samantha turned back and suddenly, there was a bright flash of light as a vision of a dart hitting Leonardo in the shoulder appeared before her eyes, and she watched as the ninja staggered before crashing face-first into the ground at Usagi's feet. Then, she saw, in a secret room overlooking the Battle Nexus, the Damiyo's son and a hooded figure with him, the Damiyo's son holding a blow pipe in his hands. Then, the vision vanished.

"Sensei! We have to stop the match!" Samantha shouted, getting up from her seat and running to the edge of the balcony. "Leonardo! Usagi! You must stop the match!" But the shouts and cheers of the crowds drowned out her voice. Just then, Samantha thought she saw the dart whiz by through the air and found its target in Leonardo's shoulder. She watched in horror as, just like in her vision, Leo dropped his katanas, staggering before collapsing at the feet of Usagi.

"LEONARDO! NO!" Samantha screamed, gripping the edge of the balcony tightly in her hands.

"Leonardo!" Master Splinter cried as his son lay unmoving in the dust of the arena.

* * *

"And now, my traitorous fiancée," the Ultimate Ninja chuckled, aiming the blow pipe at the young princess's back and slipping in another dart.

"My Damiyo, I strongly advise against this," his "counsel" advised. "Taking out Leonardo was one rash act. But to harm the daughter of Bushido himself would land you in the dungeons with one word from your father. It is too great a risk to take at this point in time."

"Your counsel has been taken and overruled! Now be silent!" the Ultimate Ninja snarled.

"Yes, my...Damiyo," his "counsel" replied. The Ultimate Ninja aimed the pipe at Samantha's shoulder and, with a strong, deep breath, blew and sent the dart flying towards its target.

* * *

"We have to get down there and help him!" Samantha shouted, tears threatening to stream down her face as Leonardo didn't make a move to get up.

"We must find the Damiyo and notify him," Master Splinter told her. Just then, Samantha felt something prick the skin of her shoulder. Her head felt like it was spinning in rapid circles and she felt woozy and weak. She could barely stand up straight and was staggering quite a lot. Her limbs felt like lead, and her vision was getting darker and darker.

"Sensei, I...I..." was all she managed to say before she blacked out and her unconscious body tumbled over the balcony of the Battle Nexus and plummeted towards the arena below.

**GASP! Samantha! NO! Find out what happens next in 3...2...1!**


	62. Chapter 62

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**D****isclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Sixty-Two

Gasps and screams of horror filled the arena as the unconscious body of Princess Samantha Bushido of Planet Earth plummeted towards the hard ground of the arena. Horror filled Master Splinter's eyes as he watched the girl who was in every way a daughter to him falling to her death.

"Princess Bushido-san!" Master Splinter yelled. Usagi looked up when he heard Master Splinter and also saw the falling princess.

"Somebody catch her!" Usagi shouted.

* * *

Don was sitting on a bench with the other defeated warriors, immersed in his thoughts, heartbroken over Samantha's betrayal when he heard it.

"Somebody catch her!"

His head whipped up and he caught a glance of Samantha's body plummeting past him towards the arena at an alarming speed. Without a second thought, Don leapt up and sprinted across the room before leaping off the edge and freefalling after her. Propelling himself twice, he managed to grab the Princess around the waist with one arm before whipping out his bo staff and pushing off the wall and landing on his feet in the arena where Usagi and an unconscious Leo were. The crowds lightly cheered as Don sheathed his staff and turned to the ninja princess he'd just caught.

"Samantha! What the Hell were you-?!" Don began to scold, but then he noticed that her eyes were shut. She wasn't moving. His heart pounded in his throat. "Samantha?! Samantha?!" He put his slit close to her mouth and felt a faint breath tickle his ear. "She's barely breathing!"

"Leonardo-san?" Usagi prodded, but the warrior didn't move. Usagi sheathed his sword and gingerly approached the ninja turtle, who lay on the ground, unmoving and still.

"Leo!" Don gasped as he saw his unconscious brother lying nearby. His heart felt like shattered glass as he looked from his brother to his girlfriend, both of whom were still not moving. Just then, Gyoji materialized into the arena.

"Warrior. What has happened?!" Gyoji demanded, seeing Leonardo unconscious.

"Something is terribly wrong," Usagi told Gyoji as he rolled Leo onto his shell and put an ear close to his mouth. "His breathing is faint."

"Just like Samantha's," Don jumped in. His eyes narrowed at the samurai rabbit. Could he have done this to Leo and Sam? It was pretty strange how he was in the area when the both of them had fallen unconscious. Suddenly Don felt rage take over him. If that rabbit was the one who'd hurt his brother _and _ the woman he loved, he was in for one shell of a beat down!

Gyoji stared in horror at the unconscious princess in the defeated warrior's arms. He felt his temper boil. The Damiyo would be furious when he heard about this.

"This warrior and the princess require a Healer," Gyoji told Usagi and Don. "The match is nullified pending a thorough investigation."

"Very well," Usagi replied as he slung Leo's arm over his shoulder and hauled him to his feet. "But I insist you allow me to accompany him and Princess Bushido to the Healer's Pavilion."

"And I insist you get your paws off my brother!" Don growled, whipping out his bo staff with one hand.

"Please! I only wish to help Leonardo!" Usagi insisted, looking very worried. Don's eyes remained narrow as he gripped his bo staff and Samantha.

"Don! It's...OK!" Leo gritted out, trying to stand before he passed out again. Don and Usagi quickly caught him before he hit the ground.

"Come! The Healer awaits us!" Gyoji told them urgently. He waved his paddle, and a bright, blue sphere surrounded the five of them, transporting them out of the arena and into the Healer's Pavilion.

* * *

High above the arena, concealed by the shadows, the Ultimate Ninja stood with his "counsel", proudly overlooking his accomplished tasks thus far.

"They will be an example!" the Ultimate Ninja growled. "All shall fear me as Master of the Multiverse!" With that, he swept away towards the Healer's Pavilion, leaving his robed "counsel" in the shadows, green eyes flashing beneath the grey robes, and a growl ringing low in the air.

* * *

The Healer's Pavilion was a large, wide room with many futons and pillows lying on the ground. The unconscious Samantha was resting against Don's plastron while Don and Usagi held the unconscious Leo between them.

"Wise and beloved Master Healer," Gyoji greeted, bowing to a black and grey haired man with a matching, bushy beard and pale skin. He wore lavender-colored symbols on his forehead and cheeks. His ears were slightly pointed, and he had the look of a wise, old sage. "An honored warrior and a young princess have need of your gifts." He pointed to Samantha and Leonardo. The Master Healer stood up and bowed, his pale colored robes fitting loosely around his body.

"Bring them to me. Quickly," the Master Healer told them in a calm, low voice. Gently, Don and Usagi lay Leo down on the futon. Then, Don tenderly placed Samantha on the one to Leo's left. The Healer knelt beside Leonardo and placed his hands on his forehead. Then, he closed his eyes and began chanting and glowing a brilliant blue.

"What's with the vocal Mind Meld?" Don asked, looking suspicious.

"Vocal Mind Meld?" Usagi repeated, looking confused.

"What is the **Healer **doing to **Leo**?" Don asked, his voice hard.

"Oh. He is merging with your brother's spirit to determine the exact nature of his malady," Usagi explained. Just then, the door to the Pavilion banged open behind them.

"My son!" Master Splinter cried, hurrying forward to Leo's bedside. "My son! What has happened here?!" Just then, the glowing Healer was shocked back and away from Leo, almost crashing into Samantha's unconscious body behind him. Don and Master Splinter helped him to his feet as he shook himself.

"He has been poisoned," the Healer informed them. "But the source of the toxin eludes me."

"What?!" Usagi demanded, looking horrified.

"And Samantha?" Don inquired, looking worried sick.

"I suspect she has been poisoned as well with the same toxin injected into Leonardo," the Healer answered.

"Leonardo and Samantha poisoned?!" the Ultimate Ninja gasped in horror as he strode into the room and stood at Leo's bedside. "What fiend would do such a thing?!"

"I'm looking at him right now," Don muttered, but a quick jab in the side from Master Splinter's elbow kept him from saying anything more.

"Rest assured, Splinter-sensei," the Ultimate Ninja said, taking off his mask and bowing to the elderly rat, "that I will personally get to the bottom of this atrocity."

Master Splinter's eyes landed on the Ultimate Ninja before he turned back to Donatello. "Stay with your brother and Princess Bushido-san, Donatello. I will return shortly. I must speak with the Damiyo." With that, Splinter walked off to find his friend, and Donatello knelt beside the Healer and his brother with Usagi. None of them noticed the smile on the Ultimate's face nor the glint in his green eyes. He quickly put back on his mask and then went over to Samantha's bedside and knelt beside her, fully aware of Don watching him like a hawk.

"Rest assured my princess that I **will** find the scoundrel who did this to you!" he vowed, holding her hand tightly in his before planting a kiss on it. Donatello's growl escaped his lips before he could stop it. The Ultimate Ninja looked up at him before he placed Sam's hand by her side again, turned away and strode out of the room, his purple cloak billowing behind him. Don went and sat down by Sam's side, trying his best to keep tears from pouring down his cheeks.

"You care deeply about her," Usagi said as he sat down next to Don. Wiping away some of the moisture from his face, Don turned to Usagi and stared hard at him.

"What's it to **you**?!" he snapped. Usagi looked shocked for a moment before his calm, serious face returned again.

"You do not trust me, Donatello," Usagi told him, shocking the ninja turtle that he'd been so obvious about his suspicions. But he didn't answer the samurai's question. He reached for Samantha's hand, the same one the Ultimate Ninja had kissed, and kissed it again. But his kiss was gentle, tender, loving. If she could feel anything right now beside pain and agony, it would be the loving tenderness of his kiss.

"We'll find a way to heal you, Samantha," he whispered to her, placing her open palm against his cheek and nuzzling it. "You and Leo will survive. I don't know how, but we'll find a way. I promise you this, _chérie_. I promise."

"She is a brave warrior, Donatello," Usagi told him. "As is your brother. You should be proud of them both."

"I am," Don replied, making his voice sound as strong as possible.

"We **will** find the answers to all the questions left unanswered at this point in time, Donatello," Usagi told him kindly.

"I just hope Master Splinter gets back with the Damiyo soon," Don told him, looking down at the still face of the girl who owned half of his heart. "Because whoever did this to Leo and Sam is still out there. And that means that everyone in The Big Brawl, including the Damiyo, is in terrible danger."

* * *

The Damiyo sat in his throne room, holding the note from his son in his hand. His feared and wondrous, golden war staff sat behind him.

"What is keeping my son?" the Damiyo wondered aloud. "His message said this was an urgent matter." Just then, a large, black shadow appeared in the midst of the room. The Damiyo stood and reached for his war staff, but just then, a kusarigama chain wrapped around it and pulled it out of his reach, dropping it in the center of the room.

"What is the meaning of this?!" the Damiyo demanded as Shadow Assassins dropped from the rafters of the throne room, armed to the teeth. "Guards!" But no one came as the one of the Shadow Assassins slashed at the Damiyo with a jagged-bladed knife.

Meanwhile, back in the arena, the matches were complete and Gyoji was announcing the warriors who were moving on to the final round of the competition. Among the names were Raph and Mikey, who smiled proudly. Gyoji told them that the finalists were to meet at the base of the pyramid in one megaquagon.

"How long is a megaquagon?" Raph wondered aloud.

"Long enough to see me dominate the finals, bro!" Mikey chuckled, hitting Raph lightly on the shoulder. "High-three!" He and Raph high-threed, smiling.

"Leo and Donny must be kicking themselves for not makin' da cut!" Raph chuckled.

"But of course, I would never be so unsportsman-like as to rub it in their faces," Mikey said, in an attempt to look humble. But he was failing miserably.

"**I** would," Raph replied in a low voice, smirking.

"Me too!" Mikey cheerfully agreed, throwing an arm around Raph's shoulder. "C'mon! Let's go find 'em!"

* * *

Something was terribly wrong. Master Splinter knew it from the moment he saw the Damiyo's guards knocked unconscious.

"Damiyo!" Master Splinter shouted. He kicked open the doors of the throne room and gasped as he saw armed Shadow Assassins standing over the unmasked face of the Damiyo, who lay unconscious on the ground, his golden mask lying nearby. One of them threw a knife at Splinter, whose walking stick caught the blade. He cast it aside and chased after the Shadow Assassins. They smashed through a screen wall of the throne room and disappeared before Master Splinter could reach them.

"Splin-ter!" the Damiyo gasped, reaching out to his old and dear friend. "Splin-ter!"

"Do not try to speak, old friend," Master Splinter told him. "I will seek help." Just then, he heard the sound of swords and spears being drawn out behind him. He turned and saw the Ultimate Ninja standing behind him with

"Step away from the Damiyo! NOW!" one of the guards commanded. Master Splinter stepped back and two other guards seized him. "We have the intruder, My Lord."

"Wait! You misunderstand!" Master Splinter protested, his eyes wide with shock.

"Father!" the Ultimate Ninja gasped, walking towards his father. His mask was held in one hand. He knelt beside him and buried his face in his hands. "NO!" Just then, the Damiyo gave a groan and reached out for Splinter, but fell back unconscious. The Ultimate Ninja then looked from his knees at the guards. "Take him to the Healer's Pavilion at once!" Then, he turned to Master Splinter. "My father **trusted** you, vermin! He called you "friend", and you betray him thus?!" Four guards gently picked up the Damiyo.

"Splin-ter!" the Damiyo gasped again, his hand pointing to Master Splinter as he was carried away to the Healer's Pavilion.

"See how he points to the assassin?!" the Ultimate Ninja shouted, pointing after his weak father. "Throw this rat in the dungeon!" The guards led Master Splinter away, and the Ultimate Ninja replaced his mask on his face, a cruel, cold smile hidden beneath the one etched on the red mask.

* * *

Back in the Healer's Pavilion, Don sat between Leo and Samantha, his face etched with worry and sadness. He then took up a damp cloth and began bathing his brother's face with it. Then, he turned and did the same for Samantha, all the while holding back his tears and trying to contain his rage. He should be tracking down the bastard who'd done this to their family; to** him**! But Master Splinter knew what was best, and Don, as a ninja, was bound to obey his sensei. Even though sitting here between the two people he cared about more than anything in the world was silently and slowly driving him insane.

"Master Healer! You're need at once!" one of the guards shouted as they carried in the unconscious form of the Damiyo to Don's and Usagi's everlasting shock and horror. "The Damiyo has been attacked!"

"Wait! What about Leo and Samantha?!" Don asked. But the Master Healer simply passed him by as the guards carried the Damiyo into the next room. The doors rolled shut behind them. Don looked down at Samantha before looking back at Leo. "What can **I** do? I'm an engineer. Not a doctor." Just then, Usagi reached out a hand towards Leo. But Don wasn't having any of that.

"Don't even **think** about touching him!" Don snapped, gripping Usagi's wrist tight.

"Please! I only wish to examine your brother!" Usagi protested, laying his swords on a nearby table and taking up a lantern. He sat down on the ledge beside Leo's and Sam's beds. "I only want to help."

Don smiled slightly. "Alright," he said, nodding. Then, he crossed his arms over his plastron. "But I'll be watching."

"If you would be so kind as to hold this for me like so," Usagi instructed, holding out the lantern to Don, who took it and held it steady as Usagi rolled Leo onto his side and then took out a crystal. "Observe." He then held the crystal in the light, which formed a prism that highlighted something on the back of Leo's neck.

"What is that?" Don inquired.

"It is the entry point of a dissolving poison dart," Usagi explained, taking out a pouch. "A rarely-used weapon nearly impossible to detect, even by a trained Healer. And I suspect that Princess Bushido was also another victim of it." He untied the pouch to reveal a strange set of herbs.

"Now that we have located the source of the toxin, I have some medicine that might help," Usagi said, pouring the herbs into his hand. "With your permission." Don nodded and then watched as Usagi pressed the herbs into both Leo's neck and then tied it with a ripped piece of cloth before doing the same for Samantha. Don watched Usagi. He was gentle and did everything in plain sight of Donatello. But Don wasn't letting his guard down just yet.

"All we can do now is wait," Usagi said gravely, looking at Don, whose grim face mirrored his own.

* * *

"Make way! Battle Nexus finalists coming through!" Mikey declared as he, Raph and the other finalists walked through the marketplace. "That's right! Feast your eyes on Mikey the Magnificent! Defeater of some of the greatest warriors in all creation!"

Raph groaned and smacked Mikey hard in the back of the head. "Will you give it a rest already?!"

Just then, they heard someone say, "Psst!" and turned to see someone standing in the shadows by a stall. "Hey! Turtles!" The figure then stepped out of the shadows and revealed himself to be the rhino named Genesuke. He was holding a small pouch. "Care to place a wager on me for the next round? I'm the odds on favorite 3 to 1!"

"Beat it, Rhino!" Raph snapped before stalking off. "Find some other sucker!"

"Wait! What are the odds on **me**?!" Mikey demanded.

"The long shot?!" Gen laughed, crossing his arms over his chest. "200 to 1!"

"Long shot?!" Mikey repeated, looking slightly angry. "_Moi_? Whoa! Man! I gotta get in on that action!" Then, he took off after Raph and caught up to him. "Hey Raph! C'mon! Break me off some bank!"

"Forget it, bro!" Raph told him, seizing his younger brother by the arm and dragging off away from Gen. Then, he looked back over his shoulder at the rhino. "And you can take yer horn and shove it in someone else's business, Rhino!"

"Your loss, reptile!" Gen called out after them.

"Hey! Hey! Whoa! Whoa!" Mikey protested, scurrying to keep up with Raph's furious pace. "What were you thinking?! 200 to 1! We could clean out!"

"Lose your shell more likely," Raph countered.

"Hey! You don't think I'm a contender?!" Mikey demanded, poking Raph in the plastron and getting up in his face. "You think I'm a bum? A cream puff? A lightweight? A **loser**?!" Raph just stared down at his brother in silence. "You can stop me anytime here," he commented.

"I will when I disagree with ya!" Raph snapped, pushing past Mikey. "Now let's go find Leo, Don, Sam and Splinter!"

"Right! We wouldn't want 'em to miss my incredible Battle Nexus triumph!" Mikey agreed, walking backwards beside Raph. "Float like a butterfly! Sting like a bee! Who be the turtle?! The turtle be **me**!" Just then, Mikey crashed into a cart, sending a yellow goo over on an alien. "Oops!" The alien growled in a strange language while glaring at Mikey.

"Sounds like da universal language of "I'm gonna kick yer butt" ta me!" Raph observed.

"Yeah?!" Mikey demanded before poking the alien in the chest. "Well, if you weren't such a puny, little shrimp, I'd show you how a _real_ Battle Nexus Champion fights!" Just then, the alien growled and began growing larger and larger until he stood, towering over Mikey.

"Uh, eep!" Mikey gulped as he and Raph stepped back from the giant, enraged alien.

* * *

Master Splinter sat silently in his cell, kneeling and looking relaxed and calm. He felt a shadow land on him, but he didn't open his eyes or move even slightly.

"How can one remain so calm in the face of such serious charges?" the Ultimate Ninja demanded.

"I could **never **bring harm to the Damiyo!" Master Splinter snapped, finally opening his eyes. "As you should know!"

"All too well," the Ultimate Ninja replied. "For it is **I** who ordered the attack on my father!" Master Splinter's teeth clenched as he glared up at the Ultimate Ninja. "Oh yes! Even as we speak, your friend the Damiyo lies in the Healer's Pavilion, though not long for this world. And your son, Leonardo lies there as well. And your daughter, Samantha Bushido will make the journey as well. All of them poisoned by my hand."

"My father," the Ultimate Ninja continued, "forced me to bow before you, your sons and the woman who spurned my love and humiliated me! Now **you** will bow before **me**!" He drew out the golden war staff. "For **I **am the Damiyo now!"

"You will never earn that title!" Master Splinter growled, rising to his feet. "You know nothing of honor!"

"Honor?!" the robed creature behind the Ultimate Ninja snorted. "This has nothing to do with honor, little ratling! This has to do with power! Power and vengeance!" He ripped off the robe, revealing a towering, red dragon with glowing, green eyes underneath.

"Draco!" Master Splinter gasped.

"Yes!" Draco growled, his claws looking even deadlier in the dim light of the dungeon torches. "I'm so pleased you remember me. How's the leg?"

Master Splinter's only reply was a fiercesome snarl.

* * *

The towering alien seized Mikey by the belt and drew up him off his feet so that the tow of them were face-to-face.

"Did you know that where I come from, "puny, little shrimp" is actually a term of endearment?" Mikey informed him, chuckling nervously. "My brothers call me that all the time. Isn't that right, Raph? You puny, little shrimp?" He winked at his brother.

"If yer lookin' for help from me, yer lookin' in da wrong place, Mikey!" Raph told him, smirking slightly as the alien raised him higher in the air.

"Attend! Attend!" Gyoji shouted. "The final stage of the Battle Nexus tournament is about to begin!" He waved his paddle and suddenly, Mikey, Raph and the huge alien were standing with the other finalists and Gyoji.

"Welcome, noble warriors, to the final stage of the Battle Nexus tournament!" Gyoji declared as a huge sphere appeared from a flash of blue light, followed by a smaller sphere divided into four sections.

"Before we begin, all match-ups will determined by random lottery!" Gyoji waved his paddle again, and a blue sphere sat before him. "However, due to a disqualification, we are left with an uneven number of combatants. Therefore, the odd warrior will automatically advance to the next level!"

"Yer in luck, Mikey!" Raph told him as he reached inside the blue sphere to draw out his lot. "Warriors don't get any odder dan you!" The other warriors drew their lots, and when Mikey reached in and drew his, he gulped when he saw that the giant alien had drawn the same color as he had. Mikey gulped as the alien chuckled.

"Hey pal! Good luck!" Mikey said, shaking the hand of another combatant and subtly switching lots with him. The other warrior looked shocked as he glanced down at his lot.

"Suckers!" Mikey chuckled. "The hand is quicker than the eye!" Just then, Raph thrusted the same color lot into Mikey's face. "Uh-oh!"

"I am **so** gonna enjoy dis!" Raph said, smirking widely as he poked Mikey in the plastron with the circular end of the lot. "We're talkin' a **lifetime** of get-backs here!"

"Yes! I advance to the semi-finals!" Gen chuckled. "You should've bet on me while you had the chance, fools!"

"You know what? I changed my mind!" Mikey told Gyoji. "I think I'd rather fight the purple guy!" There was a flash of light and then, Raph and Mikey were in their arena. Mikey turned to his brother, who was slowly drawing out his sais. "You wouldn't consider forfeiting like Master Splinter, would you?" Raph leapt in the air and Mikey barely dodged his sais. "I'll take that as a no!"

The two of the circled one another before Raph went in for another attack. Mikey leapt over him and kicked him hard in the shell. The crowds cheered and Mikey grinned, arms outstretched.

"Hear that crowd go?!" Mikey asked Raph. "That's** me** they're cheering for!" Raph got up and rushed at Mikey, who was unaware of Raph's approaching attack. "That's right! Me! Not you! But me! Not you! But me!" Just as Mikey bowed, Raph soared over his head and crashed hard into the ground.

"OK. Now, you're just getting sloppy," Mikey commented. Raph's temper flared uncontrollably and he sprang to his feet, enraged.

"WILL...YOU...SHUT...YOUR...TRAP?!" Raph roared, swiping at Mikey with his sais. The ninja easily dodged them and smirked.

"Why? Does my talking bother you?" Mikey asked cheekily, grinning when he saw Raph was losing it. He dodged a hit. "Am I distracting you somehow?" Another dodge. "Making you lose your focus? Messing up your concentration?" He kept dodging the sai swipes that came his way. "Finally getting on your nerves, perhaps?" Raph fell to one knee and panted heavily as Mikey stood over him, a large grin on his face. "Or maybe, you're just a teensy bit scared that I might **beat you**!"

That was all it took to get Raph's temper flared up. Charging at Mikey in a blind fury, Mikey waited until the last second and then kicked off the wall, soaring over Raph's head as he slammed straight into it, sais and all, and then vanished in a swirl of blue light. Cheers erupted as Raph materialized in the area for the defeated warriors.

"I don't believe it!" Raph said in shock and confusion. "Mikey **beat** me! He's in da final four? And I'm out?!" Then, a horrifying idea popped into his mind. "What if...what if... what if Mikey **actually** wins?!" He clutched his head. "What if he becomes da Battle Nexus Champion?!" He grabbed and shook one of the other defeated warriors, whose head banged against the wall. "He'll never let me live it down, and I'll never be able to live with myself!" Just then, a large claw came gently on his shoulder.

"Defeat is a harsh mistress, my friend," Traximus told Raph. Raph released the other warrior, who dropped to the ground.

"Traximus?" Raph asked, looking shocked.

"Care to drown your sorrows in a Serosian liquid protein supplement?" Traximus offered. Raph nodded and soon the two companions were seated at a table in a restaurant. A waitress came and handed them their drinks.

"This one's on me, Raphael," Traximus told the mutant turtle, handing the waitress some coins. "I never got the chance to properly thank you and your brothers."

"For what?" Raph asked as he took up his drink.

"My freedom," Traximus replied, holding up his drink. He then went on to explain how the mayhem Raph and his brothers had caused when he'd kidnapped the Prime Leader had given Traximus and his companions the chance to escape in one of the space cruisers.

"Dat Triceraton gladiator world was a messed-up place, huh?" Raph reminded him.

"I'm afraid things have grown far worse," Traximus informed him. He then relayed to Raphael how the war between the Federation and the Triceraton Republic had only escalated since their escape. And it angered the Triceraton warrior greatly.

"Many have perished in this senseless conflict," Traximus told him, his sharp teeth slightly clenched and pounding his fist on the table. "I have come here mainly to find troops to help me overthrow the Triceraton Republic and the Prime Leader's corrupt regime!" Then, he looked around and then leaned in closer to his friend. "Although it seems not even the Battle Nexus is immune to corruption. I hear word of an attempt on the Damiyo's life by some cowardly, assassin rat!" Raph immediately spat out the drink that was in his mouth.

"Did you say **rat**?!" Raph demanded, eyes wide with shock.

"Goes by the name of Shard or Sliver," Traximus continued, scratching his head.

"Or Splinter?!" Raph demanded, his hands on the table. "Dat's my Sensei! And he's **definitely** no assassin! What else have ya heard?!"

"Only that he was caught in the act and imprisoned in the palace dungeons," Traximus continued.

"No way!" Raph snarled. "It's gotta be a frame-up! I'm gonna bust him out **right** **now**!" He leapt onto the ledge of the restaurant when Traximus seized him by the arm.

"Raphael!" he exclaimed. "That is a rash, foolhardy and extremely dangerous act!" Then, he smiled. "Count me in!"

* * *

The Master Healer sat with the Damiyo, chanting the same words he had with Leonardo. Just then, three smoke bombs landed inside the room, knocking out the guards and the Master Healer. Two Shadow Assassins dropped in from an open window and crossed the floor to the room where the Damiyo lay. Just then, one of them stopped by Leonardo's bedside and took up the turtle's katanas.

"What are you doing?!" one of the Assassins demanded. "Our orders were to end the Damiyo's life!"

"And so we shall!" the other replied, taking up Leo's katanas. "But we will make it look like the turtle creature finished the work his master started!" He tossed one of the katanas to his comrade. "We can even make it look as though he murdered the princess too out of jealously for our master's desire for her!" The two entered the room and raised the katanas above their heads. But before they could strike the Damiyo, a third sword blocked them. Usagi stood by the Damiyo's bedside and Don came flying in and tripped the assassins with his bo staff.

"Be alert, Donatello-san!" Usagi warned him. "I have encountered these assassins before! They are extremely skilled and dangerous!" Don dodged a kusarigama chain and battled with the skilled assassin before finally managing to get a hit in with his bo staff.

"You can say that again!" Don told Usagi.

"Very well," Usagi replied before blocking a hit from the assassin's spear with his sword. "They are very skilled and dangerous." It wasn't long before Usagi smashed through the screen wall. Don had his bo staff ripped right out of his hands by the kusarigama chain and had to dodge its potentially fatal hits. He took up a jar and threw its contents at the assassin before it blinded him and the chain wrapped itself around its master, binding him. Just then, one of the assassins approached the Damiyo with a spear that had one of Usagi's swords attached to it.

"I believe this belongs to my friend, Usagi!" Don grunted as he pulled at the sword, which drew the assassin's blade away. Usagi came flying in and struck the assassin hard twice before he stumbled away from the Damiyo.

"And I believe I have something of yours, Donatello," Usagi said, smiling. He and Usagi swapped weapons and Don leapt in and began attacking the assassin, who blocked every hit with the staff of his spear.

"Why did you attack the Damiyo?!" Don demanded as he blocked hits from the spear. "Who are you working for?!" Usagi was trapped by the chains of the other assassin, but he managed to smash is captor into a shelf of herbs and medicines.

"Easy Usagi!" Don advised. "We can't get information from them if they're out cold!"

"My apologies, Donatello-san," Usagi replied as Don was hit aside and Usagi grabbed his swords and hurried across the room to save the Damiyo from another attack. His swords stopped the spear an inch from the Damiyo's chest. He slashed it out of the assassin's hands before Don tackled him to the ground, pinning him there with his bo staff.

"Now, tell us who you serve, assassin!" Usagi demanded, pointing one of his swords at him. "Or feel the wrath of my blade!" The assassin's red eyes narrowed and Don's eyes squinted.

"Usagi, do you get the feeling he knows something we don't?" Don asked. Just then, Usagi whipped around and saw the numerous other Shadow Assassins who had gathered in the Pavilion. His swords were drawn in an instant as Don looked and saw that they were surrounded.

"Donatello. I believe we are in for the fight of our lives."


	63. Chapter 63

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**D****isclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Sixty-Three

The Assassins leapt down from the ceiling, armed to the teeth and prepared to fight any intruder that stood in the way of their mission.

"We must protect the Damiyo!" Usagi shouted, his sword drawn and held in front of him.

"And if we can't?" Don asked, his bo staff also out.

"Then we shall perish with honor!" Usagi answered, eyes narrowed.

"Let's try and leave the whole "perish" bit out, OK?" Don suggested before the Shadow Assassins flew in for the attack. Don and Usagi battled hard against the Assassins. Usagi found himself surrounded by a few of them, and Don quickly used two of the futons and threw them with his bo staff, catching them off-guard. Just then, Don heard a moan and saw Leo open his eyes and rub his forehead.

"Leo?!" Don asked, a smile on his face. But then, he was kicked hard into a pillar by one of the assassins, falling on his stomach. He looked up and saw four of the assassins crawling like spiders on the walls of the chamber, heading towards the door of the Damiyo's chamber.

"Usagi!" Don yelled, pointing to the Shadow Assassins crawling on the walls into the chamber. Usagi turned and saw them disappear into the room where the injured Damiyo lay. His eyes went wide with horror.

"The Damiyo!" Usagi shouted.

* * *

Back in the arena, the Ultimate Ninja, with Gyoji by his side, stood at the top of the palace to address the crowds. They had no doubt heard the swirling rumors of the attack on the Damiyo, and were all anxious to hear any news of his well-being.

"Friends. Warriors. Noble creatures," the Ultimate Ninja declared to the crowds as Mikey and the three other champions stood before him. "It is a sad office I must perform. The Healers say my father, our revered Damiyo, **will not live**." Shouts and gasps greeted his announcement. "But, we must continue the Battle Nexus tournament. It is what my father would've wanted. It is with a heavy heart that I assume his place and his duties. We have our final four combatants, hoping to become the Battle Nexus Champion. And so I say, in honor of my father, let the Battle Nexus tournament proceed!"

The crowds cheered as the Ultimate Ninja stepped back.

"Gyoji. I must attend to affairs of state," the Ultimate Ninja informed the floating man. "Continue the contest."

"Yes, young master," Gyoji replied, before he re-appeared in the arena below. He waved his paddle, and a swirling, blue vortex appeared before them. "Step through the portal. Fate will pair you randomly. Fight well and with honor, young warriors." The other three warriors stepped through the portal, but Mikey hesitated for a moment.

"Well...here goes nothin'!" Mikey declared as he leapt through the portal and fell out into his arena. The small, pale alien studied him carefully, spear in hand. Mikey took out his nunchucks and charged at the alien. Gen charged at the purple alien. The semi-finals had officially begun.

* * *

The Ultimate Ninja was walking through the halls of the palace when Draco stepped into his path, the red dragon towering over him.

"My Lord. A moment," Draco said to the Ultimate Ninja. "All is going according to plan. And I think now would be the right time for you to fulfill your promise. Give me your father's war staff!"

"Patience, Draco," the Ultimate Ninja replied. "Patience. The staff is in a safe place, and I will give it to you only when all is done, and **I **am officially named Damiyo!" He walked off, leaving the dragon fuming with anger.

"My patience, my young lord, is at an end!" Draco growled, his green eyes glowing fiercely.

* * *

Raph stood at the side of an alleyway in the marketplace, casually holding a sai in his hand while Traximus held the young, white-masked man by the throat, his feet dangling in the air.

"So what's it gonna be?" Raph asked in a low voice.

"I already told you!" the young man shouted. "I...I don't know where this "Master Splinter "is!"

"I guess dere's no reason ta keep my hungry friend from eatin' ya!" Raph told him, smiling slightly. The Triceraton growled as the young man shivered. "Go on, Traxie! Dig in!" The Triceraton licked his lips as he stared at the young man.

"No! No wait!" the man begged. "Don't eat me! Your Master Splinter is being held in the palace dungeon!" Raph chuckled as Traximus smiled down at him. It was times like these he **loved** being the tough, hotheaded ninja turtle of the family.

* * *

The Shadow Assassins seemed to always be willing to get back up and fight. Twice, Usagi found himself battling at least half a dozen of them in single combat. But Donatello, after checking briefly on Leo, was able to jump back into the fight and help the samurai rabbit. Then, one of them caught him off-guard with his kusarigama chain, knocking the rabbit back into a column before binding him to it with the chain. Usagi's swords dropped from his hands.

"Time to skewer the rabbit!" an assassin holding a spear growled.

"Usagi! No!" Don shouted. Usagi gritted his teeth as the blade came down towards him. But just then, a pair of katanas stopped the blade in its tracks. Leo, up and battle ready, kicked the assassin away from his friends before holding his swords in an offensive stance.

"I'm glad you are feeling better, Leonardo-san!" Usagi said, smiling. Leo turned and smiled at the samurai rabbit.

"Maybe not better. But at least I'm breathing," he replied as he sliced Usagi free. The samurai picked up his swords before twirling them into a parallel position.

"Good. Then let us finish these foes!" Usagi declared before jumping back into the battle. Leo spotted Don fighting against two of the assassins hand-to-hand.

"Donny! Incoming!" he shouted before tossing Donatello his staff. Don grabbed it and three of them managed to take down the remaining Shadow Assassins. Now unarmed, the assassins fled from the chamber.

"Welcome back, bro!" Don exclaimed, patting Leo on the shoulder.

"Thanks," Leo replied, smiling slightly before his face turned serious again as he looked at the Damiyo. "The Damiyo? What's he doing here?"

"He was attacked," Usagi answered. "I suspect he was poisoned. Just as you and Princess Bushido-san were."

"Samantha was **poisoned**?!" Leo demanded in horror.

"Didn't you see her?!" Don asked, narrowing his eyes a little.

"Of course I did!" Leo answered, his voice a little harsh. "I...I woke up and saw her lying on the futon beside me, and I just thought she was...unconscious or something. But..._poisoned?!_"

"I'm afraid so," Don answered. Then, his face turned to stone. "And I think I know why you three specifically were targeted."

"Why?" Leo asked.

"All three of you share one, common link," Don answered grimly.

"Common link?" Usagi repeated.

"Something or some_one_ that all three of them have in common," Don explained. Leo's eyes lit up, and he gritted his teeth as he saw where his brother was going with this theory.

"Of course! It all makes sense now!" he growled.

"What it is?" Usagi inquired. Leo looked at Don, their eyes meeting and his younger brother nodded, confirming his suspicions.

"The common link between myself, the Damiyo and Samantha...is the Damiyo's son. The Ultimate Ninja."

* * *

Outside the entrance to the palace dungeon, Raph and Traximus peered out and saw a man yelling at two of the guards.

"Well, da front door is out," Raph whispered to his comrade. "How good are Triceratons at climbing?" Traximus looked up with Raph to the palace walls at a window into the dungeon. The two exchanged glances and nodded.

* * *

Back in the arena, Mikey was battling hard against his combatant. The four of them were all fighting since they now shared one, common goal: being crowned the Battle Nexus champion.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm in too deep?!" Mikey asked himself as he continued dodging the lightning-fast swipes of the trident spear the alien was swinging hard at him. "Let's just hope it's not six feet deep!"

"I wonder if it's too late to change my bets and put it all on **this** guy," Gen said aloud to himself as the purple alien wound up his fist and punched the wall, missing Gen's head by a millimeter. "Look," he said to the purple alien. "You're obviously a marginally intelligent warrior!" He dodged a swipe from the alien's sword. "I stand to rake in imperious cash if I can win this thing! I could cut you in for twenty percent!" The purple alien continued to fight. "60:40? Uh, 50:50?"

"Tell you what!" the purple alien growled. "I'll cut you in 50:50. Top half and bottom half, or maybe right half and left half!"

"No need to be a jerk about it!" Gen growled before he pushed back with his own sword. A few blows later, Gen had vanished, and the purple alien stood as the victor.

"No, no! No, no!" Mikey screeched before he pulled out all the stops and had the alien disarmed. And with a final, fatal blow, the alien disappeared. The crowds cheered and Mikey smiled. "That's right! I** am** the greatest!" He began bowing to the crowds. "I came! I saw! I kicked butt!" Then, a shadow fell over him, and he looked up to see the purple alien from the marketplace standing over him. "You've **gotta** be kidding me!" he groaned. "I have to fight the big, ugly, purple guy!"

"Come. It is time," Gyoji said, waving his paddle and the two finalists disappeared and then found themselves in a circular dojo surrounded by water.

"The two finalists in the Battle Nexus contest are Klung of Dimension Nexram and Michelangelo of Dimension Third Earth," Gyoji announced to the crowds. Mikey waved shyly, a nervous grin on his face. He was starting to regret ever suggesting to follow Master Splinter to this place.

* * *

_CRASH! _Traximus and Raph landed on the floor inside one of the rooms of the palace, glass shards scattered across the floor. Traximus smiled at his friend.

"OK? **Dat **was subtle," Raph said sarcastically as he and Traximus hurried forward and stood at the foot of the stairs which led to the dungeon.

"Yo, Traximus! Bring da curtain," Raph told his friend, pointed to the fallen drape. "I got an idea!"

* * *

The guards guarding the Damiyo's war staff were pathetically weak to Draco, and soon, he had taken out the last of them easily. He turned and saw his golden prize, glittering faintly in the shadows.

"Now to fulfill my destiny!" Draco growled as he approached the war staff. But another hand seized it before he could touch it. "WHAT?!"

"Ah, Draco!" the Ultimate Ninja said, appearing from behind the curtain. "I **knew** you would betray me!" The dragon backed up a bit. "I wanted to see the look on your face as you failed to achieve your plans! And now, you will pay for your treason! **With your life!**"

He held the war staff aloft in his hand, and it began to glow with a blue light before it started vibrating and shaking. The Ultimate Ninja was struggling to hold on to it. "What?! The war staff?! It **fights** me?!"

"You always **were** an incompetent fool!" Draco growled as he lunged forward to seize the war staff. He tackled the Ultimate Ninja to the ground, and the war staff flew across the room and landed on the ground. But only briefly. Draco's claw wrapped around it, and he held it in his paw, a cruel smile on his face. "It's a shame, really! You should've spent more time learning how to **use** the war staff! **I **on the other hand have spent years of my life studying its ways...and its immense power!" He managed to blast the Ultimate Ninja with the war staff as he tried to flee. Chuckling, Draco walked forward, triumphantly holding the war staff in his hand like a king's scepter.

* * *

Master Splinter sat meditating in his cell while the two guards stood with swords drawn. Raph and Traximus came down, wearing the curtain over them both. The ninja turtle was sitting on Traximus's shoulder, and looked like a towering giant as he came down the stairs and stopped in front of Master Splinter's cell.

"I have come to question the captive!" Raph declared to the two guards.

"By order of the new Damiyo, none shall pass!" one of the guards replied, their swords pointed at the hulking figure.

"Hey! Watch it with those pig-stickers! I don't want no trouble!" Raph shouted before Traximus's fists shot out and knocked the two guards hard into the wall.

"It's old shtick, but it works," Raph chuckled as he threw the curtain off of him and the Triceraton rebel before leaping off his shoulders and hurrying to Master Splinter's cell. "Master Splinter!"

"Raphael! My son!" Master Splinter shouted, coming to the bars.

"Allow **me**!" Traximus offered before he bent the iron bars of the cell enough for the rat to slip through.

"Thank you, noble Triceraton," Master Splinter replied gratefully as he walked out.

"Master Splinter, what da shell's goin' on around here?!" Raph demanded. "Dis place is crazy!"

"I will explain on the way," Master Splinter replied, his dark eyes burning with the light of combat. "But now, we must hurry! We must get to the Damiyo, Leonardo and Princess Bushido-san!"

* * *

Back in the arena, the crowds cheered as Gyoji shouted, "Begin!" and then vanished. The final round had started. Mikey took out his nunchucks.

"Get ready for pain, little turtle!" Klung growled as they circled one another. "Lots and lots of pain!"

"Has anybody ever told you purple looks good on you?" Mikey asked nervously as he continued twirling his nunchucks. "It says, "Rage"."

"I'm going to **crush** you, turtle boy!" Klung snarled before swinging hard and fast at Mikey. He had to be really quick on his feet to dodge them. Just then, the Ultimate Ninja came crashing into the arena from above, slamming Klung right into the ground. Then, a huge, red dragon leapt down into the arena as well, holding the Damiyo's war staff in his hand.

"Draco, you fool!" the Ultimate Ninja growled. "That war staff is my birthright!" Just then, Gyoji appeared in the midst of the arena.

"Hold the contest!" he shouted. "Battle Nexus rules clearly state-!" He was cut out from a blast from the war staff by Draco.

"Anymore rules you'd like to state?!" Draco growled.

* * *

Traximus and Master Splinter supported the weak but alive Damiyo between them, followed closely by Raph, Leo, Don and Usagi as they made their way to the Battle Nexus arena.

"You must be strong, Damiyo!" Master Splinter encouraged. "There is an urgent matter which needs your attention!"

"Draco has returned?!" the Damiyo asked in horror. Then, his eyes narrowed as he saw what the dragon held in his hand. "The war staff! In Draco's hands, it must not be...The war staff focuses power from the heart!" The Ultimate Ninja barely dodged a blast from the war staff as he fell to the ground, his mask fallen. "In the hands of true evil, there is no telling what horrors it could release! Come! We must stop him!"

Surrounded by a blue sphere, the Damiyo and the warriors disappeared from the royal loft and reappeared in the midst of the arena.

"Draco! Stop!" the Damiyo shouted. Just then, the war staff began to glow red instead of its usual mystic blue. Even Draco was horrified.

"What?! What is happening?!" Draco snarled. He pointed it at the Damiyo.

"Draco, no!" the Damiyo yelled. But it was too late. A swirling, red vortex spiraled from the war staff up into the sky above. The red skies now spread out over the arena. "With his evil heart, Draco has torn a rift between worlds. A multi-dimensional rift that will destroy all it touches!" Draco could not hold onto it any longer, and the war staff shot from his hands and landed in the center of the arena.

"The war staff! I must have it!" the Ultimate Ninja declared.

"No! No! It's mine!" Draco growled as he, the Ultimate Ninja, Leo, Raph, Usagi and Traximus all made a run for it. Diving all at once, the war staff landed further away from them. The rift began growing stronger as they all watched the war staff slowly begin to inch off the ground.

"Da war staff!" Raph shouted before leaping into the air and pinning it down with his sai. Just then, he started rising and held on tightly to his sai handle. Mikey began to rise as well and then managed to slam his nunchuck into a crack in the ground before lassoing Klung around the ankle. Gyoji was pulled upwards and into the rift, disappearing in a glowing flash. Don, Usagi, Leo, the Ultimate Ninja and Draco all began to be pulled upwards by the rift. Traximus was being pulled up as well before he pulled out his battle axe and buried it firmly into the ground.

"Turtles! Grab on!" Traximus shouted as he grabbed Don's bo staff. Don grabbed Usagi, Usagi grabbed Leo, Leo grabbed the Ultimate Ninja, and Draco grabbed the Ultimate Ninja as well. The pull was becoming stronger and stronger. Just then, Raph slid the war staff out from beneath his sai.

"Master Splinter! Catch!" Raph shouted, tossing it to the elderly rat. He caught it firmly in his hand.

"Here, my friend," Master Splinter said, handing the staff to the Damiyo. "Hurry!"

"Yes! I must close the rift immediately!" the Damiyo replied.

"Hang on! I've got you!" Leo grunted as the pull grew even stronger.

"You will **not** be rid of me so easily!" Draco roared as he grabbed onto the Ultimate Ninja's other leg.

"You fool! You'll kill us both!" the Ultimate Ninja snapped.

"Stop fighting! You're slipping!" Leo yelled as he felt the Ultimate Ninja's hands slipping through his own. But they didn't hear him.

"Draco! Rot in the abyss where you belong!" the Ultimate Ninja growled, kicking out at Draco. Then, his hands slipped from Leo's grasp and the two of them, Draco and the Ultimate Ninja, went on fighting one another.

"NO!" Leo shouted as they drifted further and further away from them and finally both disappeared in a golden flash.

"My son! NO!" the Damiyo shouted before he bowed his head in grief.

"Damiyo! You must act **now**!" Master Splinter shouted urgently. The Damiyo looked up, grief and loss still burning in his heart, but his eyes were clear.

"Yes!" Pointing the war staff at the rift, a blue light glowed from it and a few moments later, the rift was sealed. Everyone plummeted to the floor. Mikey was busy trying to tug his nunchuck free and didn't notice the staggering Klung behind. Then, his nunchuck flew up from the ground and struck Klung in the face, causing him to stagger a few more steps before tumbling into the dust.

"Yo, Ugly! You think we're supposed to fight now?" Mikey asked, twirling his nunchucks and turning around. Then, he saw Klung on the floor, knocked out and was puzzled. The crowds began to cheer and roar. The Damiyo stepped forward, but just then, a young man in a pale, white robe came bursting into the arena.

"Forgive me, noble Damiyo," the messenger panted as he bowed. "But I come from the Healer in haste."

"Then speak," the Damiyo ordered. The others crowded around him, and Don felt his heart plummet like a stone as the messenger's eyes landed on him and then went back to the Damiyo.

"I'm afraid I have grave news concerning Her Highness, Princess Samantha Bushido."

* * *

"What do ya mean ya can't cure her?!" Raph roared in anger as they all stood in the Healer's Pavilion. Even Traximus and Usagi were there along with the brothers, their father and the Damiyo. Don and Leo were kneeling by Samantha's bedside. "Yer supposed to be a HEALER! So why can't ya-?!"

"Raphael, enough!" Master Splinter snarled fiercely, silencing his hotheaded son.

"The poison that came from the dissolving dart was given in a stronger dosage to the princess than it was to Leonardo or the Damiyo," the Master Healer answered gravely. "Even young Usagi's herbs alone cannot stop the poison from spreading."

"How much stronger of a dosage are we talking about?" Leo inquired, his eyes never leaving the still face of the ninja princess.

"It was meant to be...fatal," the Healer answered solemnly. A cold air swooped down on everyone gathered in the room.

"Fatal?!" Mikey repeated in horror. "Does that mean that Sammy's gonna-?!"

"I am truly sorry," the Healer replied. "There is nothing more I can do."

"NO!" Donatello snarled, gripping Sam's hand tightly in his. "We CAN'T just give up! There's GOT to be a way!"

"Donny. There's nothing we can do," Leo told him gently. "There's nothing anyone can do."

"NO! I WON'T let her die!" Don roared, tears rolling down his cheeks as he gripped her hand even tighter. "Do you hear me, Samantha?! I'm NOT going to lose you! Not now, not EVER! We'll find a way to beat this, Sam! I **promise**!"

"I'm so sorry, _suiren_," Leo whispered to her as he wiped away a tear from his eye. "I'm so sorry. I failed you. I failed Bushido. I..."

"You cannot blame yourself for the unexpected, Leonardo-san," Usagi said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You did not know this would happen."

"But when I saw him here, I should've known that he...that I...that she...!" Leo protested, but Don cut him off.

"Then what's **my** excuse, Leo?" Don demanded, glaring at his older brother. "I'm her boyfriend! I'm supposed to protect her, to care for her!"

"Donny, it's not your fault. It's **mine! **If I hadn't gone along with her stupid plan, then-?!"

"What plan?!"

"C'mon, Donny. Do you **honestly** think she'd kiss me just for the Hell of it?! The Ultimate Ninja would've gone after **you** if she'd give you her favor for the tournament! She suspected how angry he was with her. She wanted to keep you safe. She couldn't warn you without giving herself away to the Ultimate Ninja."

"How did you know?"

"His eyes. And hers. I read them both. I knew what was coming, so I played along. She looked at you before we...didn't she?"

"Yeah. And I wondered why she was looking at me like a lamb being led to the slaughter. Now, I understand. I'm such an idiot!"

"Donny...!"

"No, Leo! I'm a serious idiot, OK?! When you two kissed, I...I was furious. I wished her dead, OK? And now looked what happened! The girl I **love** is **dying**, and there's not a **damn** thing I can do about it!" Don buried his face in his hands and sobbed as Leo put a comforting arm around his shoulders.

"I wish we had some sort of potion like in _Harry Potter_ that could fix everything!" Mikey sighed.

"Yeah? Well dis ain't Hogwarts, and he ain't Madame Pomfrey!" Raph snapped. "A potion can't solve everythin', Mikey! What are we supposed ta do? Compare some sort o' strengthening potion with an anti-toxin potion!"

"Wait! There **may** be a way," the Healer mused, reaching for mortar and pestle. "If I can combine Miyamoto Usagi's herbs with a special potion used to restore strength to an injured warrior, then it may counteract the poison and reverse the process."

"And Samantha?" Don asked.

"She would be weak for some time but alive," the Healer replied.

"Then do it!" Leo told him firmly. The Healer nodded and drew forth a jar filled with a blue liquid. Usagi handed him the herbs from a pouch he carried and then stepped back as the Healer pounded them into a brown, mud-colored elixir. After saying a Japanese prayer over the elixir, he held it gently in his hand and approached the young woman.

"Open her mouth, please," the Healer instructed. "And make sure her head is tilted back. Every drop of this elixir is precious. There will be no second chance if we do not get it right this time."

Don tilted her head back, opening her mouth and making sure it was far back enough to prevent the elixir from going down the wrong tube. The Healer knelt beside her and poured the liquid into her mouth. Stepping back, everyone watched and waited. But nothing happened.

"Why ain't it workin'?!" Raph demanded.

"Patience, Raphael," Traximus told his friend. "Not everything in life happens immediately. Some things take time."

"You don't think we were...too late, do ya, Doc?" Mikey inquired.

"It may be that the poison is immune to the elixir," the Healer answered gravely. "It may have strengthened throughout the time we were absent. In which case, she may already be dead."

"NO!" Don screamed, throwing himself beside Samantha and sobbing into her chest. "NO! Samantha, please! Please, Samantha! I love you, Samantha! I love you so much! Please, no!" Silence fell upon the room as Don sobbed. Leo swallowed a large lump in his throat, Raph gripped his sais tightly in his hands, Mikey was wiping away his own tears, and Master Splinter himself matched the Damiyo's somber face as they both mourned for their lost children. Traximus and Usagi were sorrowful as well. Just then, Don felt a hand stroking the top of his bald head in a way that almost comforted him. But then reality hit him hard in the face like a skillet.

"Cut it out, Leo," he told him.

"Donny. Open your eyes," Leo gasped. Don didn't move an inch.

"What's the point, Leo? She's gone! And I never told her how much I love her, how much I care for her! She's like the yin to my yang. The E=MC2 to my Einstein brain! My other half! I'll never love any girl like her for as long as I live!"

"Wow. After hearing all that, the worry about you ever cheating on me is now completely put to rest," chuckled a familiar voice. Don's head whipped up, and he found himself staring into the bright eyes of his beloved girlfriend, Samantha Tiffany Bushido. She smiled.

"SAMANTHA!" He tackled her back onto the futon as he hugged her tightly and smashed his lips onto hers. She kissed back before she felt her head spin, and then she pushed him away gently.

"Easy, Donny!" she laughed as Leo helped her sit up. "I just came out of a poison-induced coma! Don't send me into another one so fast!" Don smiled sheepishly and blushed.

"I'm sorry, Sam. It's just I...you were...I thought..." She put a finger to his lips and smiled as she looked into his eyes.

"It's alright, my turtle genius," she replied. "If it was you who'd almost died, I would've jumped you the minute you woke up and shoved my tongue down your throat."

"OK. Did **not** hear to hear that!" Mikey groaned, hiding his face in his palm. Everyone laughed as Don and Leo helped her up from the futon. Then, she was greeted with hugs from Raph, Leo, Master Splinter, the Damiyo and Mikey as well as shoulder pats from Usagi and Traximus. Then, she turned to the Healer, almost losing her balance. Luckily, Don was nearby and caught her, helping to steady her.

"Thank you, honorable Healer," she told the man, bowing to him. "I owe you my life."

"It was my pleasure, Your Royal Highness," the Healer replied, bowing in return. Then, she turned to the small group of her new friends and her family.

"So, which one of you am I crowning as Battle Nexus Champion?" Samantha asked, smiling at them all.

"Yer never gonna believe dis, Princess!" Raph groaned as he shook his head in complete and utter disbelief. "But it's..."

* * *

"Michelangelo of Dimension third Earth, I crown you Battle Nexus champion!" the Damiyo declared, placing a laurel wreath on Mikey's head. Samantha stepped forward on the Damiyo's arm and handed Mikey the pyramid-like trophy with the gold circle on top. Then, she stepped back and joined in with the shouts, the cheers, and the applause as Mikey raised the trophy proudly above his head. Leo patted him on the shoulder and smiled as Don came and rubbed his head in a brotherly way.

"I just can't believe I actually won!" Mikey chuckled.

"Dat makes two of us!" Raph growled, looking completely pissed off.

"Congratulations, Champion!" Samantha chuckled as she planted a kiss on his cheek which sent Mikey blushing and earned him a light, warning smack in the back of the head from Don. Samantha chuckled and then turned to see the Damiyo and Master Splinter standing side-by-side.

"I know my son was rash and foolish, but I mourn his passing," the Damiyo said gravely to Splinter. Samantha felt her heart ache for the Damiyo. It couldn't be easy losing a child, and she could see that Master Splinter completely understood, having nearly lost all his sons (and her as well) numerous times before.

"Perhaps he is not completely lost," Master Splinter told him. "The multiverse holds many mysteries. There is always hope."

"Perhaps," the Damiyo replied, looking a little hopeful. "But come. Gather your children. I must let you go home."

"Hey guys! Get your shells in gear!" Samantha shouted. "We're going home!"

"Princes Bushido-san! How many times have I told you not to eavesdrop?!" Master Splinter scolded.

"This would be the first," Samantha answered, smiling.

"Surely this is not the first time you've ever eavesdropped on a conversation!" Master Splinter chuckled darkly.

"No. But it's the first time I've ever been_ caught_," Sam replied as everyone laughed and Master Splinter groaned.

"And I thought my sons were difficult!" he told the Damiyo, who smiled slightly. But his face was still worn with grief and sadness. Sam managed to walk across the way to where Leo stood beside Usagi. The ninja turtle bowed to the samurai rabbit who bowed back.

"It was a honor to battle beside you and your brothers, Leonardo," Usagi told him, smiling. "I hope in the future our paths will cross again."

"It is **I **who am honored, Usagi," Leo replied, smiling as Samantha stood beside him. "You saved my life."

"And mine as well, honorable samurai," Samantha jumped in. "The Bushido clan is indebted to you. I hope that fate will allow us to see each other again."

"Who knows, Princess Bushido?" Usagi said, bowing. "Fate is a strange force that no one can see coming until it finally hits."

"Farewell," the Damiyo told them as he touched the war staff to Mikey's trophy and it glowed blue. "And good battle to you all!"

"Goodbye," Leo said.

"See ya!" Don told them.

"Later!" Raph grumbled, still looking mad. Then a sphere that looked like the water that had formed the portal to bring them here surrounded them. There was a flash of blue light, and then Samantha found herself and the others standing in the middle of the Lair.

"We're home," Leo observed, smiling.

"Yeah. It's almost like it didn't happen," Don added.

"Oh it happened!" Mikey bragged, showcasing the trophy like it was a flashy, new Mercedes. "And I have the trophy ta prove it! See what it says? _Battle Nexus Champion!_ Which is** me**! The greatest warrior of the trans-dimensional multiverse!"

"Ya only won on a technicality!" Raph snapped, looking beyond enraged.

"Uh, technically, I kicked your butt in one of the rounds, remember?" Mikey teased.

"Wait! Mikey beat **Raph**?!" Samantha demanded, looking shocked beyond belief. "Damn it, I missed one of the most important moments in all history!"

"I know, Sammy! But don't worry! I forgive you!" Mikey told her. "Ya wanna know why I'm so forgiving today? Because I am THE BATTLE NEXUS CHAMPION!"

Raph snapped and tackled Mikey, Leo and Don to the ground (he was probably just aiming for Mikey) and then the fight began as Leo and Don tried to hold Raph back, and Raph and Mikey were yelling and arguing. Then everyone started arguing until it turned into a cacophony of anger and fists flying.

"It's good to be home, isn't it Sensei?" Samantha giggled as she watched the four brothers fight to keep Raph from pounding the newly-crowned Battle Nexus Champion.

"Yes, Princess Bushido-san," Master Splinter chuckled. "It is good to be home."

"Hey! Any one of you wanna walk me home?!" Samantha shouted over the noise of the fight. "Or do I have to stagger all the way to Westchester County?!"

"I'll drive you, Sam," Don replied, leaping out of the fight and gripping her hand tightly as he pulled her towards the elevators. In only minutes, they were flying down the streets of New York in the Battle Shell towards Westchester County at a blazing speed. Every turn felt like the monstrous truck would flip onto its side

"Whoa, Donny! Slow down!" Samantha half-laughed. "You must be going at least twice the speed limit!"

"Sorry. But I just need to get my rage out," Don apologized.

"About me and Leo?" she asked tentatively. He looked at her, and for a second, she thought that his darkened eyes meant that she'd hit the nail on the head.

"No."

Samantha breathed a silent sigh of relief. "Then what?"

"Mikey's annoying "I am the Battle Nexus Champion" rant!"

Samantha giggled. "Yeah. It **does** get annoying after a while."

"A while? I was sick of it after five minutes!"

Finally, they reached the mansion and Don parked on the side street. The walk from the Battle Shell through the garden and then up the balcony lattice took longer than usual since Samantha was still very weak, but insisted on walking on her own. Don, after grumbling about dating a stubborn girl, allowed her to, but stayed close by in case she should faint or anything. Finally, they reached her bedroom.

"Just like how I left it," she commented, smiling as she sat down on the edge of her bed. Don stood in front of her before reaching out and taking her hand in his. He didn't kiss it or anything. He just held it.

"Were you expecting a hurricane to blow through here or something?" he teased.

"Maybe," she replied, winking. Then, she pulled on his bandana tails and pulled his face close enough to hers so that their lips were almost brushing. "Wanna wait out the storm with me?"

"You bet, my young tiger." Then, he was kissing her like it was his last day on Earth. He didn't know when he'd pushed her back onto her bed or when she slipped her hands into his mask and began trying to untie it. All he knew was that he couldn't get enough of the feel of his lips on hers, of the warmth of her body, of the smell of her shampoo and perfume. She was so...incredible, and Donatello vowed that he was never going to lose her.

Neither of them noticed the door open. "Samantha! I heard you come and...!" They broke apart and Don immediately rolled off of Samantha and saw a furious man standing in the doorway. "Donatello! Samantha! What are you doing?!" Uncle Kenji demanded, looking beyond angry.

"She was injured today at the Battle Nexus, Uncle Kenji," Don answered before Sam could open her mouth. "I was just making sure she was alright, and then..."

"I'm aware of the events that happened at the Battle Nexus today," Uncle Kenji cut in, sounding less angry. "Thank you, Donatello. For getting my niece home safely. And...forgive my outburst. I just thought that the two of you were..." He allowed the sentence to trail off, causing Don to blush. Did he know about the night he'd spent with her?

"Uncle Kenji!" Samantha groaned. Yep. He knew alright. Don's cheeks turned redder.

"It's alright. You're like a second father to her," Don replied. "I would've do the same thing if she was my niece."

"You'd threaten to chop up my boyfriend into turtle pepperoni slices with a katana if you ever caught him in my room?" Samantha demanded.

"I wasn't **that** extreme!" Uncle Kenji protested.

"It was kind of obvious from the look on your face, Uncle Kenji," Samantha retorted, earning an eye-roll from her uncle.

"I'll respect the rule , Uncle Kenji," Don told him, to both Uncle Kenji's and Samantha's shock. "I'll walk her home and take her to her balcony. No further."

"My niece made a wise choice in choosing you for a partner, Donatello-san. Please know that this has nothing to do with you as a mutant or as a person. I simply wish to protect my niece. Goodnight." He bowed to the two of them and then left the room, closing the door gently behind him.

"He knows about us...?!" Don asked, but let the last part of the sentence be left unspoken. Samantha nodded her head and frowned.

"And now he's forbidden you from coming into my room," Samantha told him. "I'm almost _eighteen_ years old, and he insists on treating me like a child! Didn't he used to do reckless stuff when he was our age?!"

"I'm sure he did," Don chuckled. "But he's not wrong to warn us away from this, Samantha. Sex isn't something you play with. It's serious, and...he just doesn't want anything to happen to you. Otherwise, he'd skin me alive and use my shell as a serving platter."

"I suppose so. But that doesn't mean I have to like it." Don laughed.

"That's my girl." He leaned in and then kissed her lips gently. But he didn't expect her to tackle him onto the bed, straddling his hips. He moaned through their kiss as her hips grinded gently, almost sensually, into his own. His hands tangled in her hair, pulling it free of its ponytail so that he could run his fingers through the strands. Her fingers traced gently over his face and neck before sliding down to his plastron.

"Samantha! Stop tempting me!" Don growled. Samantha smirked and continued to grind against her boyfriend, holding back a moan of her own as his lips made his way down her neck. Her hands slid up to his shoulders, and she managed to rip away her neck so that she could meet his lips with her own before she broke away again.

"How much am I tempting you, my turtle genius?" she whispered huskily in his ear. He growled and then flipped them over so fast that Samantha didn't even realize what had happened until she was staring up into his lust-filled eyes. He leaned down towards her. She puckered her lips for a kiss, but he missed them entirely and paused close to her ear.

"Enough to make me wanna take on the wrath of Timothy Kenji," he told her before he nipped her ear.

"Then why don't you?"

"Because...I like having a shell on my back, Samantha." He pulled away from her and sat on the edge of the bed, still turned towards her as she turned and lay on her side. He held her face with one hand. "So...how was I compared to Leo?"

"Good grief, Donny! Are you **seriously** going there?!" Samantha asked, part jokingly, part serious.

"Why not? I think I have a right to know."

"I didn't kiss Leo because I wanted to, you know! I did it to keep my psycho ex-fiancé from **killing you**!"

"OK! OK! Sheesh! I didn't know it would annoy you so much!"

"Well, it **does! **It shouldn't matter to you how Leo kisses me, Donatello Lucius Hamato, because I'm not Leo's girlfriend. I'm yours! So stop worrying so much!"

"I can't!"

"Why?! Don't you trust me?! Do you think I'll betray you with your own brother?! That I'm some sort of monster?!"

"No! Sam, I...!" She turned her face away, but Don caught it with his hand and gently turned it back to him. "I'm...sorry. I just...I love you so much. I don't wanna lose you."

She took his face in her hands and looked him right in the eyes. "You'll **never** lose me, Donatello. Ever. I promise you that." The kiss they shared now was frantic, passionate, as if they wanted to show the other just how much of their feelings were at stake in this. Don was the first one to break away.

"I'd better get going."

"Yeah. You should." Giving her a final, parting kiss, Donatello walked towards the balcony doors but then turned back to his girlfriend.

"So you're **seriously** not going to tell me how I compared against Leo?" Don asked playfully. Samantha's jaw dropped open, but when she saw his smile, she smirked.

"Donatello. The day I tell you how you compared to Leo is the day the Triceratons and the Federation invade Earth looking for the Fugitoid."

"Interesting choice of scenario, Samantha. Why that instance in particular?"

"Because it's the most unlikely to happen. Those brain-dead dinosaurs and those Federation creeps are too busy fighting each other to come up with the brilliant plan of tracking down the Fugitoid."

"First rule of ninjitsu: never underestimate your opponent. They may be smarter than you give them credit for."

"Come on, Donatello. I mean, what are the chances of the Triceratons coming to Earth?! A gazillion to one!"

"Alright. Then I'll just have to assume that **I'm** the better kisser!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, my turtle genius!" Don scowled and Samantha laughed. "You actually thought that reverse psychology trick would work? Donny, I have a 176 IQ, remember?"

"Right. Well...goodnight, my sweet ninja princess."

"Sleep well, my handsome, turtle genius." Don blew her a kiss and then was gone. But as Samantha changed into her silk pajamas and burrowed underneath her sheets, she could've never guessed that she was going to have to confess to Don how his kisses were compared to Leo's.

Because high above her, Donatello, their family and friends, and every being on Earth, in the near regions of space, an enormous, Triceraton invasion fleet was massing close to their beloved, peaceful planet. Aboard it were the Prime Leader, Commander Mohzar and hundreds, maybe even thousands of Triceraton warriors. All of them were prepared to destroy Earth entirely, murder the innocent, enslave the strong, and capture those who posed a threat to their aims. All of them were willing to do whatever it took to ensure that their mission was a success, and that their objective was accomplished in the Triceraton Republic's insatiable quest for the Fugitoid and universal domination.

**Whew! Now THAT was a lot of work! But, we are finally out of season 2 and the next chapter, it's season 3, starting with the alien invasion! WOOHOO! Plus, when Agent Bishop comes into the picture, there will be more drama as I reveal a secret about him! What is the secret? Will the Turtles and Samantha be able to stop the invasion before it destroys Earth? How will Samantha deal with Don's desire to know who is the better kisser? Stay tuned for the coming chapters of Not An Ordinary Girl to find out! So, now that my little schpeel is done, REVIEWS, REVIEWS, REVIEWS! Thank you VERY much! Happy reading!**

**-Livangel16**


	64. Chapter 64

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Hello my lovely readers! So, I must apologize for being gone so long! A THOUSAND AND ONE APOLOGIES! *falls to knees and begs for forgiveness*. OK. So here's why I've been M.I.A. : 1) I had TONS of schoolwork to do, and because it's my second year, I need to buckle down and FOCUS! 2) I wrote and directed a play at my church for Easter, and that took A LOT of time and work, but it went really well, and I'm happy! 3) I just really haven't felt like writing much in the FanFiction world lately as my other writing has been taking up a lot of my time. But, in order to make it up to you, I am bringing you the first THREE chapters of season 3! I have to go somewhere, so I can't do visiting fans at the end (plus I'm out of ideas, so PM me your visiting fan ideas AFTER you review ALL THREE CHAPTERS SEPERATELY!) Thank you! Now, without further ado, on with the story! Enjoy!**

**D****isclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Sixty-Four

It was a hot, summer day when Olivia came over to Samantha's house. She was taking a summer course in Astronomy to cover a breadth requirement for her degree, and she was struggling with her latest assignment: a detailed, planetary analysis of the nine planets in the solar system. So, she called Samantha and asked her if she could come over to her house to run some ideas by her for the project. After asking permission from Uncle Kenji (who had become a little less squirrely about who he let in the house, but wouldn't lift the ban on Don coming into her room), Olivia and Sam were now sitting on the floor of Samantha's bedroom, Olivia typing on her laptop and Samantha pouring over various books about the planets.

"I don't get how studying planets has anything to do with Biology _or_ Anatomy, 'Liv!" Samantha groaned as she slammed one of the books closed. "These books just keep saying the same thing about all of the planets! I mean, what course is this? Divination or something?"

"HAHA, Samantha! Very funny!" Olivia replied, rolling her eyes at the Harry Potter reference. "No. It's actually Our Solar System: The Cosmos and Beyond. And it's actually not that bad. Well, except that this assignment is worth 30% of my final mark."

"That'd put a damper on things for sure!"

"But it's really cool and stuff! Professor Hart even said in lecture that beyond our solar system, hundreds, maybe even thousands, of worlds could exist, all teeming with life," Olivia informed her, getting a dreamy look on her face. "Wouldn't it be cool, Sam? To visit other planets beyond this galaxy?"

"I suppose," Sam answered, closing another book. "Unless you count getting caught up in an insane war between two lunatic aliens over a robot "cool"!"

"What're you talking about?" Olivia inquired, looking utterly confused.

"Mikey didn't tell you about the time we got zapped across the universe to Dhoonib with the whole Fugitoid robot thing?" Samantha asked. Olivia shook her head. Then, Samantha launched into a full, detailed account of what had happened when they had been inside the TCRI building all the way to when they'd landed hard on the roof of the Battle Shell.

"Wow! So, other worlds **do** exist!" Olivia breathed in amazement. Then, her face got a frown on it. "It just sucks that they've got the same problems as Earth does: war, poverty, and all that." Then, she looked frightened. "You don't think that those Federation goons and those dinosaurs will come here looking for the Fugitoid, do you?"

"Relax, Olivia," Samantha told her kindly, patting her shoulder. "You're starting to sound like Don. Those idiots aren't smart enough to track the Fugitoid here! They're too busy fighting each other millions of light-years away."

"Don was worried about the same thing?"

"Well...I kind of brought it up as a response to a...request of his."

"Which was?"

"He wanted to know whether he or Leo was a better kisser, and I..."

"**You kissed Leo**?!" Olivia screeched in horror. "Samantha Bushido, **are you out of your mind**?! Leo is Makayla's **boyfriend!** I didn't think you'd ever...!"

"Olivia! It wasn't on purpose!" Sam cut in firmly.

"You don't "accidentally" kiss your best friend's boyfriend, Sam!" Olivia huffed. "I can't believe you'd do something like this to Mac! You need to pray that she doesn't find out! Otherwise...!"

"Would you let me explain?!" Samantha shouted. Olivia stopped her rambling and nodded. Samantha then told her everything that had happened at the Battle Nexus. Olivia's eyes narrowed when she heard that the Ultimate Ninja had been there and looked horrified to learn that he'd poisoned not only Leo and Sam in revenge, but had also gone after his own father. And her eyes glowed with pride when she heard that her Michelangelo had been crowned Battle Nexus Champion, the greatest warrior in the multiverse, laughing when Samantha mentioned that the insane bragging was driving her boyfriend, Leo and Raph crazy.

"Whoa! So, are you OK?" Olivia asked.

"I still feel sort of weak from the poison," Samantha answered. "The Healer said it would take time for my body to get back to how it used to be."

"That sucks," Olivia replied. "And...I'm sorry I thought you betrayed Makayla, Samantha. You were under duress, and I should've gotten your side of the story before I jumped down your throat."

"Thanks, 'Liv," Sam told her, hugging her best friend. Olivia smiled and returned it tightly but loosened it when she felt Samantha flinch slightly. Then, they broke apart.

"Sorry Sam. I forgot about the..."

"Don't worry about it, 'Liv. If anyone should be apologizing, it's that psycho ex-fiancé of mine! But he's currently somewhere in a swirling vortex with a mean, green-eyed dragon, so I'm not too worried about getting one for the moment."

"So...who _is_ the better kisser? Don or Leo?"

"Oh no, 'Liv!" Samantha snickered. "You are definitely **not** getting that info from me!"

"Why?!"

"Because, like I said, the only day I'm going to say that is when the Triceratons and the Federation invade Earth looking for the Fugitoid! Which is never gonna happen!" She got up off the floor and stood to her feet. "Now, I'm gonna go see if lunch is ready yet." Olivia watched her friend go, and when the door closed behind her, she sighed. From the details of Samantha's story and her father's own war stories from the Middle East, she knew that enemies were a lot cleverer than you gave them credit for. And from the sound of those aliens, Olivia could tell that this war was about to expand beyond one galaxy and come to another.

"I'd hate to be you if you're wrong, Samantha."

* * *

Aboard his starship cruiser, the Prime Leader of the Triceraton Republic stood before his Generals and Commander Mohzar.

"We have fought long and hard in the war against our hated enemies: The Federation," he reminded them. "Precious, Triceraton blood has been spilt; our glorious homeworld damaged in battle. But, through our bravery and strength of arms, we forced the "mighty" Federation into retreat! And very soon," he said, walking back towards the table away from the monitor, "we shall strike at them in force and bathe in the sweet nectar of victory!"

"Victory! Victory!" the Generals and Mohzar chanted, pounding their fists hard upon the table. The Prime Leader held up his hand for silence before he continued.

"Our path to triumph is clear!" the Prime Leader declared, arms outstretched, the look of a victorious conqueror upon his face. "We must recapture this Fugitoid!" The monitor show video of the fugitive robot, once of the greatest scientists in the universe before the accident that had destroyed his body and fused his brain with that of a robot. "Who holds in its circuitry the mind of Professor Honeycutt. His teleportal device shall provide us with the means to crush the Federation and rule the universe once and for all!"

The Generals and Mohzar once again banged their fists on the table in approval and cheered for their Prime Leader's plan.

"The Fugitoid and his allies used the teleportal to escape us last time! But we have tracked the teleportal's trans-ionic particle trail to the furthest corner of the T-17 galaxy. To an insignificant, watery, green-blue planet." The Prime Leader now stood before the display of Earth, fists clenched.

"Even if we must destroy that pitiful planet piece by piece , the Fugitoid will be ours!" Then, a clock appeared on the screen. "Begin the countdown...to victory!"

"Victory! Victory!" the Generals and Commander Mohzar chanted once more as the clock began to tick down, and the Prime Leader's starship with its invasion force began drawing closer and closer to the doomed planet.

* * *

"Finished!" Olivia declared, typing the last word with a flourish and saving the document.

"Finally!" Samantha groaned, flopping down onto her bed face-first. "My brain was about to explode from so much knowledge about Neptune and Saturn and even damn Pluto!"

"Well it's over now, Sam!" Olivia laughed, throwing her brunette hair over her shoulders. "So, what do you want to do now?"

"Let's go and see what the guys are doing," Sam suggested. "It's been a while since I've talked to Don or Leo or any of them."

"Yeah. Want me to call Mac and Tonya too?" Olivia inquired.

"Tonya's working, Care's in summer school, and Makayla's out of the country with her father, remember?" Samantha reminded her.

"Right!" Olivia said, slapping a hand to her forehead. Then, she shrugged and beamed. "Oh well. I guess it's just you and me then, Sammy my girl!"

"Wanna go congratulate your Battle Nexus Champion boyfriend, 'Liv?" Samantha chuckled. Olivia nodded fervently and Samantha couldn't help but laugh. Olivia was so helplessly in love with Michelangelo that it was as cute as it was pleasantly amusing.

"Well, take my hand, and I'll use the Amulet to take us to the Lair." Olivia took Sam's hand, and using the other to hold her Amulet in the air, Samantha was surprised when a flash of blue light surrounded the two girls, and when the flash disappeared, they were standing in the Lair close to the wooden bridge over the pool.

"I...I didn't even focus on the Lair," Samantha gasped as she looked around frantically. "How...how did it...?"

"Wait! If you didn't focus, then how'd it know to bring us here?" Olivia asked, looking confused.

"I...I don't know," Samantha answered, gazing down at the Amulet. "It's like the _tengu's_ starting to sense what I'm thinking or something."

"Is that bad?"Olivia questioned.

"Well it certainly isn't good, that's for sure," another voice answered. The two girls turned and saw Leo coming towards them. He nodded and smiled at Olivia, but when he turned to Samantha, his face looked serious. "Do you have any idea what's going on with the _tengu_, Sam?"

"No Leo. And that's what freaking me out the most," she answered, her gaze still locked on the possessed relic around her neck. "I don't know. No one told me anything except not to let my anger build up enough for it to control me. But my temper's been in check for a while now, so..."

"Maybe you talk to Master Splinter about it," Leo suggested. "He might know something about it."

"Maybe," Sam replied. Then, she felt her head being tilted up and soon, she was looking into the whites of Leo's eyes.

"We'll figure out what's going on, Samantha," he told her firmly. "And if it's bad, we'll put a stop to it. I promise you that."

"Thanks Leo," she told him, smiling. He smiled back at her.

"It's my job," he reminded Sam as he hugged her. Then, he let her go and watched her step back. "Now, I do believe Einstein has made the mistake of challenging The Battle Nexus Champion to a game of Space Destroyer. They're in the living room." She nodded and turned on her heel to go.

"Thanks, Fearless Leader," Samantha said over her shoulder. He scoffed and rolled his eyes as she smiled and linked arms with Olivia before heading off to the living room.

Don and Mikey hung upside-down on a metal pipe close to the TV. Both of them had controllers in their hands, and were blasting each other's space cruisers. And from the intense concentration on Don's face, this match was getting intense.

"Hey guys!" Olivia greeted.

"What's up babe?!" Mikey greeted, blowing her a quick kiss before turning back to the screen. Don turned and smiled as he saw Samantha walk around and approach him. And his mind was practically whirling when she kissed him.

"Hey," he greeted, smiling.

"Hey yourself," she replied, grinning back. Then he leaned in and kissed her on the lips.

"Sam, not to intrude on your romantic moment, but I think Don needs to focus," Olivia told her. "Especially since Mikey's about to hit one of his cruisers!" That was enough for Don to abruptly break the kiss, and Sam stepped back as the turtle genius got back in his gaming zone.

"No! I'm hit!" Don groaned as Mikey hit another of his ships.

"First rule of playing Space Destructor, Don boy: **never** go up against **me**!" Mikey chuckled as he continued to blast at Don's ships and Don attempted to dodge them and hit Mikey's. "For I am the Space-inator!" he declared in an Arnold Schwarzenegger voice. Then, he switched back to his regular voice. "Resistance is futile!" Just then, the TV fizzled and flickered, and the entire Lair was plunged into blackness.

"Ah man! Not another blackout! My high score!" Mikey complained.

"Relax Space-inator!" Don told him. "It's not the end of the world."

If only he knew how wrong he was!

* * *

High above the Earth, the Triceraton homeworld dispatched its smaller counterparts across the face of the planet. When they were finally in position, they emitted a fiery-substance that formed a pyramid, enclosing the planet inside the center. From his position on the homeworld, Commander Mohzar watched this with a serious, yet satisfied look on his face.

"The shield is in place, Prime Leader," he reported to the ruler of the Triceratons. "And impenetrable to anything but our spacecrafts! The Fugitoid cannot escape!"

The Prime Leader smiled evilly and nodded. "Begin the invasion!" he commanded.

Mohzar saluted and shouted, "To victory!" The invasion fleet was deployed; thousands of Triceraton cruisers all armed for war and all willing to do whatever it took, even destroying an entire planet, to ensure that victory would be theirs.

* * *

_Back on Earth..._

"Umm...s-sir," one of the military analysts reported as the map before them lit up like a Christmas tree across the globe. "We have a problem. We have multiple bogeys. Spacecrafts, sir. We're under attack from...outer space."

"Aliens?!" the commander gasped in horror and shock. "You've got to be kidding me!" Then, he picked the loudspeaker. "Full alert! We're going to Deathcon-4!"

The alarm blared as fighter jets were launched into the skies to counter the Triceraton spacecrafts. Missiles were fired, but thanks to the shields, the Triceratons were able to deflect the missiles and returned fire with devastating consequences for the fighter jets. Then, the Triceraton homeworld's lasers were blasted and sliced through multiple areas of the world, destroying cars, boats, military bases, everything in their path.

Back at the military base, the commander was on the phone with a frantic president.

"Yes, Mr. President," the commander reported. "We have taken heavy offense, and we're prepared to send our boys and tanks at Langdon up against...!"

"Sir, Langdon! It's been destroyed!" the man at the console reported once more. The commander stared in disbelief at the world screen.

"Europe, the far East, Africa...every military base worldwide!" the man informed him. "They've been... _destroyed_."

* * *

_Back aboard the Triceraton homeworld..._

"Prime Leader. The resistance these worms offered was fierce, but ineffective," Commander Mohzar reported.

"Fine," the Prime Leader said in a low voice. "And where is the Fugitoid, Commander Mohzar?!"

"We haven't found him yet, sir," Mohzar replied. "But we **will**! The hunt has begun!"

* * *

_New York City, The Lair..._

Darkness still remained in the Lair, but the TV was slowly beginning to come back on.

"What da shell's going on?!" Raph demanded as everyone crowded around the TV.

"We're about to find out," Samantha told him as the TV immediately turned on to the news channel.

"This was the scene moments ago in Times Square," the male anchor reported. Just then, footage of the Triceraton space fleet soaring over the Empire State Building and the entire city of Manhattan played along with similar, smaller videos from Egypt, Paris and numerous other cities worldwide. "Reports are coming in from around the world. We are being invaded by some sort of alien space fleet."

Leo, Sam and the others all exchanged looks and nodded unanimously. Then, they silently slipped away from Master Splinter, knowing that he would try and stop them from going topside to investigate.

"My children. It is very important that you stay in the Lair," Master Splinter said. "You must..." But when he turned around, no one was there. Sighing heavily, the elderly rat could only pray that his children wouldn't get themselves into much trouble. Although considering that it was **them**, he shouldn't hold out too much hope.

Topside, the Turtles and the girls were hidden behind the roof of a water tower, watching as a fleet of Triceraton warriors glided by them accompanied by space cruisers.

"Triceratons!" Leo hissed, clenching his fist.

"I hate dose guys!" Raph growled, socking his fist into his hand. "We gotta **do** something!"

"What can we do against an entire invasion force?" Don reminded him gloomily.

"It's the end of the world as we know it," Mikey added grimly. "And I don't feel right about that at all."

"Guys. Let's continue this conversation elsewhere," Olivia whispered as another Triceraton glided by them. "Because from what Sam told me about these guys, they aren't people I really want to meet right now. Or ever!"

"Good idea, 'Liv," Leo said. "We can come up with something more effectively in the shadows than in the open." The six leapt down into the shadows of the alley beneath them and gathered around.

"I don't get it," Don told them. "Of all the planets in the galaxy, why here? Why Earth?"

"Maybe dat Hornhead Zanramon is still mad at us for stealing his space cruiser!" Raph suggested, looking smug."It was a pretty sweet ride." Samantha snickered slightly at the memory.

"I doubt it's that serious enough, Raph," she told them.

"She's right," Leo seconded. "We're not important enough to travel halfway across the galaxy for."

"Speak for yourself!" Mikey countered, strutting forward like a peacock on display. "I'm actually a pretty big deal anywhere across the universe. After all, I am...the Battle Nexus Champion!" Mikey declared, hands on hips. Raph stepped forward and smacked him hard in the head.

"See what I meant?" Samantha whispered to Olivia.

"Oh yeah," Olivia replied before the two girls burst into giggles.

"Da Earth's being invaded by a bunch o' dinosaurs, and they're giggling?" Raph asked, looking at the two girls. "Again I say: girls are weird."

"Agreed," the other three Turtles said at once.

"We heard that," Samantha told them, hands crossed over her chest. "But back to the problem at hand. Why would Zanramon come all the way here? What's so important enough for him to invade an entire planet?"

Just then, they heard a gruff voice giving out commands. Ducking in the shadows behind the dumpster, no one dared breathe as a patrol of Triceratons passed by them. One of them was hovering close to the entrance of the alley, and Samantha felt Olivia squeeze her arm even tighter.

"Sir, I'm getting a strong, trans-ionic reading from inside that structure," one of them reported to the Triceraton in front of the alley. "You keep searching!" The other Triceraton saluted and then drove off with the foot soldiers behind him. They blasted

"Let me go! Put me down!" the old woman screamed before she passed out, and the Triceraton scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder. He hopped back onto the flying cart, and the two dinos flew off. Needless to say, Samantha, the Turtles and Olivia were beyond pissed off.

"Those bastards!" Olivia hissed.

"We may not be able to save the world! But we as sure as **shell** can save that old lady!" Leo snarled. "C'mon!"

Following the cart from the rooftops, the six nodded to one another and then split up. Olivia and Samantha watched from a nearby rooftop as Don quickly leapt onto the cart, distracting the Triceratons and forcing them to put down the old lady. Then, once Don leapt off the cart, Leo flew in like lightning and scooped up the old lady, who was still out like a light. Olivia and Samantha nodded to one another and then backflipped onto the cart. Dodging the punches thrown at them, they quickly countered with lightning-fast kicks and then leapt off the cart and hurried over to where Leo was standing, holding the old woman.

"I'll take her somewhere safe," Olivia said as Leo gently transferred the old woman into her arms. "You two, go with the others and keep Mikey out of trouble!"

"Keep **Mikey **out of trouble?!" Leo repeated in disbelief as he watched Olivia hurry up with the old woman in her arms.

"Man, that girl is **sprung**!" Samantha observed, smiling and shaking her head at the retreating figure of Olivia.

"No doubt!" Leo agreed. "Now c'mon! Before Raph pounds all of those Hornheads and doesn't leave us any!"

* * *

"Eat feet, Hornheads!" Mikey shouted as he and Raph flew in for an attack. Mikey kicked one of the Triceratons off of the flying cart and into the wall of a building nearby. Raph landed on the craft and whipped out his sais.

"It's not nice ta invade Mr. Raphie's neighborhood!" he growled before stabbing a sai through the laser gun the Triceraton was holding. Dodging a punch, the Triceraton was kicked into the middle of the cart.

"Yo Raphie Boy! Yer friends are coming back!" Mikey informed him as they saw another cart with three, armed Triceratons heading straight for them, laser guns aimed at the two mutant turtles. Driving the cart forward at full speed, Mikey and Raph leapt out of the way at the last moment, sending the empty cart colliding with the Triceratons. The two brothers landed on the roof of the building.

"Yeah!" Raph cheered.

"Alright!" Mikey hollered as he and Raph fist-bumped. Leo, Don and Sam met them halfway across.

"How's the old lady?" Mikey asked.

"Still out, but I think she'll be alright," Samantha answered.

"Hey guys!" Olivia hollered. "Come here quick!" The five hurried across the roof and leapt down into the alley where Olivia was close to the old woman, who was moaning and shifting. "I think she's coming around!"

Sure enough, the old woman's eyelids slowly began opening until she was looking straight at the Turtles.

"AH!" the old woman screamed as she saw the Turtles. "Horrible space creatures!" Then, she fainted again. Olivia and Samantha weren't surprised, but the guys sure seemed to be.

"I think what she meant was "Thanks for the rescue"," Mikey told the others. Then, everyone ducked back into the shadows as another cruiser went by with people bound and kneeling.

"Why would the Triceratons be rounding up civilians?" Leo asked.

"Don't look at me," Raph told him as everyone looked back at Donatello. "Ask da Shell-Answer Man over here!"

"First of all, it looks as though the Triceratons are only rounding up **certain** civilians," Don informed them as he worked one of his devices. "Whoa!" he exclaimed as the monitor lit up. Everyone jumped back before crowding back in again.

"What is it, Donny?" Samantha asked.

"Seems whatever the Triceratons are scanning for, we're full of it," Donatello answered.

"No big surprise dere!" Raph chuckled. "Mikey's always been full of it!"

"Guys! Come here!" Olivia told them as they headed back to the entrance of the alley and peered into the apartment of an elderly man.

"I don't see nothing!" Raph snapped.

"SHH! Listen!" Samantha whispered.

"Inhabitants of this planet!" Prime Leader Zanramon declared as he appeared on the TV screen. "You are now under my command and control! I am Zanramon, Prime Leader of the great and glorious Triceraton Republic!"

"Not to mention the biggest asshole to have ever-!" Samantha began to growl, but Leo shushed her.

"Hear my demands: you will immediately surrender to us, Professor Honeycutt! A Fugitoid robot! If you give us the Fugitoid, we may spare your pathetic lives! Deny us, and you will be **destroyed**! You have ten Trigons to deliver the Fugitoid to us or face annihilation!"

"The Fugitoid! Of course!" Samantha groaned, smacking a hand over her eyes. "How could we be so dense?! What else would Zanramon come halfway across the galaxy for except Professor Honeycutt?!"

"There's no surprise," Leo told the others. "They think the Fugitoid's here!"

"The term "Oops! Wrong planet!" comes to mind," Mikey added as they leaned away from the window.

"Yeah! Professor Egghead ain't on Earth anymore!" Raph seconded as they quickly climbed up to the roof. The moon and sky were both red, reminding Samantha of an eerie horror movie scene. And with Triceratons everywhere, it sure was turning into one.

"Judging from the tracking devices they're using, they must've followed the trans-ionic particle trail, thinking it was the Fugitoid's teleportal," Don explained as they crouched beneath the edge of the roof, concealed from the Triceratons flying by.

"But...the Fugitoid's teleportal doesn't work, remember?" Mikey reminded them. "We built it! It was a dud!"

"You think Zanramon cares?!" Samantha countered. "He just wants it so that he can wipe out the Federation and God knows who else!"

"So let me get dis straight!" Raph said, arms crossed over his plastron as the six gazed down at the destroyed streets of New York City. "The Tricera-creeps are looking fer a guy who ain't even here so dey can get something dat don't even work?!"

"That's the gist of it," Leo replied, a grim look on his face. Then, his Shell-cell started ringing and he quickly answered it. "Hello?"

"Leo! Guys! It's April!" the redhead whispered. "Casey, Tonya, Care and I are kinda in a tight spot!"

"April! I can't hear you! Can you talk a little louder?!" Leo shouted into the phone as he covered his other ear to try and hear.

"Put it on speaker," Samantha told him. He nodded and pressed a button, putting the conversation on speaker. Everyone crowded around.

"Umm...not really," April continued in the same soft voice. "We're being rounded up by these aliens. They're big, they're ugly and they stink!"

"No surprise there!" Samantha muttered, earning her an elbow from Don as he pressed closer to hear April. Samantha felt a twinge of jealousy radiate in her. April was like her older sister and Don was the love of her life, but she couldn't help but feel as though his relationship to April wasn't as platonic as he'd told her.

"They've got a bunch of us here in Central Park, and..." Just then, Samantha thought she heard a growl and then, the phone line went dead.

"April?! April?! No!" Leo growled. "They're got Casey, April, Tonya and Caroline! They're taking them to Central Park!

"Den why the Hell are we sittin' here twiddling our shells?!" Raph demanded, taking out his sais and holding them like claws. The anger on his face was as clear as the glint of his sais. "LET'S GO!" Raph hurried off, followed closely by Leo, Don, the girls and Mikey. Finally, they reached Central Park and saw that the captured civilians were enclosed in some sort of shield. Ducking as two guards passed by them, they quickly re-emerged from the shadows.

"Casey, April, Tonya and Care must be in there somewhere," Don whispered.

"Nice! A portable Alcatraz!" Mikey groaned. "Now everyone's gonna want one!"

"Let's get ready ta kick some shell!" Raph growled as he crouched and looked ready to spring an attack, sais glinting in the shadows. Leo quickly put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hang on, Raph! We're way outnumbered here," Leo told him. "We need to use our heads!"

"Guess dat leaves Mikey out," Raph said as he relaxed a little.

"You know, if all those people were set free at once, there'd be a lot of confusion," Mikey suggested. Samantha and Olivia exchanged proud smiles as the three Turtles looked at each other in disbelief.

"Mikey had a good idea?" Raph asked, smirking.

"Mikey had a good idea," Leo said, shrugging and still looking shocked before his face became serious again. "Donny. How do we get the cage down?"

"Well, see that?" Don asked, pointing to the platforms. "The cage is triangulated by those three, hovering platforms. If we bring down one, the whole thing should come down."

"Mikey, Raph, Olivia, see if you can create a diversion so that Donny, Samantha and I can take out one of those platforms!" Leo instructed.

"Wait! I don't have a weapon!" Olivia reminded him. Leo reached into his shell and drew out a very familiar chain with a sickle and weight attached at the tail. He handed it to Olivia, who looked shocked beyond belief.

"Now you do," he replied, smiling.

"My father's _kusarigama_!" Samantha gasped in amazement. "How did you-?"

"I rescued it from the cavern when those creatures attacked us and kept it in my room in the Lair," Leo explained. "I've been meaning to give it back to you, Samantha, but it just slipped my mind. Anyways, something told me to carry it today, and I did. Now, about that distraction..." Leo said, trailing off as Olivia, Mikey and Raph smirked.

"It'd be our pleasure," Olivia replied, twirling the chain. Samantha quickly changed into her battle suit, _wakizashi _ on her back, her belt stuffed with smaller arms. She looked at Leo and Don, all three nodding at the same time.

"Let's go!" Leo shouted as the six hurried towards the prison.

* * *

_Meanwhile, in outer space above Earth..._

"Commander Mohzar! I am growing impatient!" the Prime Leader growled. "Every moment we delay getting our hands on the Fugitoid is a moment that could cost us dearly! We **need** the Fugitoid!" Mohzar bowed and saluted the dictator, head bowed.

"I understand, Prime Leader, but the Earthlings continue to deny any knowledge of the Fugitoid whatsoever!" Commander Mohzar answered.

"They're lying!" Zanramon growled. "We traced the Fugitoid to this planet! He **has** to be here!"

"Our contingency plan is working," Commander Mohzar reported. "Our warriors continue to round up any creatures bearing a trans-ionic residue. This means that these Earthlings were in close proximity to the Fugitoid when he teleported here. One of them is certain to have knowledge of him." Mohzar then brought up an image of a mindreading device. "And they will share this knowledge willingly, or we will scan their brain and **take** what we need!" The simulation dummy's brain was fried to pieces. Mohzar turned back to the Prime Leader. "Either way, the Fugitoid will be ours soon enough!"

"Yes!" the Prime Leader replied in a low, evil tone. "Excellent! Have the captives brought up at once!"

* * *

_Back on Earth..._

Samantha looked up in time to see a cruiser landing close to the prison where Casey, April, Tonya, Care and the other civilians were being held.

"Leo! This doesn't look good!" she told him as he and Don looked up and saw the ship land with its door inside the cage.

"We've gotta work fast! C'mon!" Leo ordered as he, she and Don hurried towards the cage. Then, Leo quickly her down behind a rock as the three hid from a passing guard. Just then, an explosion rocked the park followed by a blaring siren.

"Mikey?" Don asked, smiling.

"Definitely Mikey," Leo replied, smiling right back. Samantha rolled her eyes playfully.

"C'mon," Leo told them. "Let's get that cage open." Rushing forward, Don vaulted onto a floating platform nearby while Leo and Samantha jumped onto it. Don quickly took out the surprised with one swing of his bo staff.

"Leo! Sam! Go for it!" Don shouted. Looking at the platform above them and then at one another, the two nodded and, leaping into the air, sliced both sides of the platform, bringing it and the cage down. They landed on their feet and watched as the debris went crashing to the ground, and the free civilians began to scatter.

"Alright! Direct hit!" Samantha crowed as she and Leo high-fived.

"Casey!" she heard someone scream.

"Let go of me, you creeps!"

"April!" Don shouted. "No!"

"Tonya!" Samantha yelled. "Hang on!"

The two quickly backflipped and got down off the platform. Standing on a fallen Triceraton, Don twirled his bo staff and let it fly like a boomerang, striking the Triceraton dragging April hard in the back. Landing and catching his bo staff, Don took out another Triceraton and then watched as Samantha came flying in with a vicious sword stroke that permanently took out the other holding Tonya. Don sheathed his bo staff and picked up the fallen laser guns and stood in front of April and the others, Samantha with her sword in a parallel position by his side.

"About time you got here!" Tonya snapped in relief as she hugged Care tightly to her, the poor girl looking beyond frightened.

"Nice to see you too, Tonya," Samantha replied sarcastically as she narrowed her eyes at the scene in front of them.

"Back off, you Cretaceous leftovers!" Don ordered, pointing his laser guns at the three Triceratons in front of them. "Keep your hands where I can see 'em!"

"Go Donny!" Care cheered from the safety of her sister's arms. "Show those dinos who's boss!"

"Looks like you've got a fan, my turtle genius," Sam chuckled as April threw her arms around Don's neck and shoulders.

"Oh Donny! I could kiss you right now!" April shouted happily. If anyone had seen the blush that spread through Don's cheeks at that, it was Samantha. And needless to say, it wasn't making her too happy.

"Really?!" Don asked, sounding a little too enthusiastic for Samantha's comfort. Samantha let out a pointed cough, snapping Donny back into reality. "I mean...we'd better get these people someplace safe!"

"You heard the turtle! Let's move!" April commanded as the hostages and she took off into the park.

"Step back a bit!" Don ordered. "Nice Hornheads!" Just then, a blast echoed from behind them, and Don fell to the ramp of the cruiser.

"Donny!" Samantha screamed as she knelt beside him. She looked behind her and saw two Triceratons emerging from the ship. Gripping the hilt of her sword, she leaped in for the attack, taking them out in one swing. Just then, something hit her in the back, and she blacked out, tumbling to the ramp almost beside the knocked-out turtle.

"Donny! Samantha! No!" April yelled.

"You Hornheaded freaks!" Tonya screamed angrily, trying to launch herself at them, but was held back by Care.

"This is one of the terrapin creatures that was with the Fugitoid," one of the Triceratons said.

"And the other is the President of the Galactic Council's niece," his partner added.

"Quick! Take them!" the first Triceraton ordered. Seizing the two prisoners, the cruiser door was sealed. April pounded on the door to no avail.

"Sam! Donny!" Caroline sobbed, clutching her older sister. Tonya's teeth gritted as she held her younger sister close to her chest.

"Donny! Sam! Donny! Sam! NO!" she shouted. Then, the cruiser's engines powered up, and in the midst of a swirling wind, April watched as her two friends were taken up and out of her reach by hostile aliens, who now held their fates in their clawed hands.

**Oh no! Poor Don and Sam! Find out what happens in 3...2...1!**

**-Livangel16**


	65. Chapter 65

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Hello my lovely readers! So, I must apologize for being gone so long! A THOUSAND AND ONE APOLOGIES! *falls to knees and begs for forgiveness*. OK. So here's why I've been M.I.A. : 1) I had TONS of schoolwork to do, and because it's my second year, I need to buckle down and FOCUS! 2) I wrote and directed a play at my church for Easter, and that took A LOT of time and work, but it went really well, and I'm happy! 3) I just really haven't felt like writing much in the FanFiction world lately as my other writing has been taking up a lot of my time. But, in order to make it up to you, I am bringing you the first THREE chapters of season 3! I have to go somewhere, so I can't do visiting fans at the end (plus I'm out of ideas, so PM me your visiting fan ideas AFTER you review ALL THREE CHAPTERS SEPERATELY!) Thank you! Now, without further ado, on with the story! Enjoy!**

**D****isclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Sixty-Five

Leo, Raph, Mikey and Olivia were busy providing some cover for the freed civilians to escape Central Park. Unfortunately, the Triceratons were right on their tails, firing their laser guns at the panicking crowds dashing out of the park.

"The prisoners are escaping!" one of them said to his comrade.

"Forget the prisoners! Capture the Turtles!" the lead Triceraton ordered. Going in for the attack, the Turtles and Olivia were fierce and merciless to the invaders. Meanwhile, Casey was handing out laser guns to the freed civilians.

"Point dis at an alien and pull da trigger!" Casey instructed as he kept handing the guns to the people. "C'mon people! Is dis so hard ta understand?!" The civilians pointed the guns at the Triceratons and fired, driving them back.

"We're outnumbered! Send for re-enforcements!" the lead Triceraton commanded. The Triceraton troops took off into the park.

"Good work, Casey," Leo said, giving the vigilante the thumbs-up. Casey turned around and looked at the Turtles while the others were busy firing at the retreating Triceratons.

"Thanks. Have you guys seen April?" Casey inquired.

"Uh...wasn't she with you?" Mikey asked.

"Dere she is!" Raph shouted, pointing to the running figure of April.

"Guys!" she yelled, hurrying towards them. Close behind her were two very familiar figures with red hair that sent Raph's heart pounding.

"Tonya! Care!" Raph shouted, running towards them.

"Raph!" the two girls shouted as they threw themselves into his arms. He hugged them both tightly.

"Thank shell yer both alright," Raph whispered as he kissed the top of Tonya's head. She burrowed closer to him, feeling safe as her head rested against his plastron.

"Aww! I always knew you were just a big ole teddy bear, Raphie Boy!" Mikey teased. The bliss shattered and Raph immediately broke away from his girlfriend and her sister and launched himself at Mikey. But Casey jumped in and grabbed him mid-flight and managed to save Mikey from being pounded.

"Lemme go, Jones!" Raph snarled. "Dis time, da Battle Nexus Champion's getting pounded!"

"We've got more important things ta worry right now," Casey told the struggling Raph.

"You've got that right!" April shouted, looking scared beyond belief. Raph immediately stopped fighting Casey, and all eyes were on the redheaded shop owner.

"What's wrong, April?" Leo asked.

"Where are Don and Samantha?" Olivia inquired.

"They've got Don and Sam! They're on that ship!" April told them, pointing to the cruiser that was currently hovering over Central Park.

"Donny!" Mikey gasped as he and his brothers stared up at the cruiser.

"Samantha! No!" Olivia shouted as tears flowed down her face. Mikey wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"We have to get a ship!" Leo told his brothers.

"Right!" Raph agreed. Then, he turned to Tonya and Care. "I know ya wanna come with, but stay here with Casey and April and help keep dese Hornheads under control, babe. OK?"

"For once, I'm not gonna argue with you, Raph," Tonya told him.

"Wow! If da world wasn't being destroyed by alien dinosaurs, I'd run home, get a video camera and ask ya to say dat again, Tonya," he chuckled.

"Yeah. Like **that'll **ever happen," Tonya snickered, rolling her eyes. Then, her face and tone turned serious. "Now stop standing here and go save my best friend! And the world!

"Yes ma'am!" Giving her a quick kiss, he and Mikey (who also kissed Olivia) hurried off with Leo trailing behind them.

"Casey. The Triceratons will be coming back for these people," Leo told him. "Can you, April and the girls at least get them out of the park?!"

"Will do, Leo," April replied firmly.

"Now get your shell in gear and go get your brother and Samantha!" Olivia ordered, twirling the _kusarigama _chain. "We'll deal with the Hornheads! Now GO!" Leo nodded and then took off after his brothers. The crowd immediately started muttering amongst themselves.

"Alright people! Listen up!" Casey shouted as he, April and the girls walked to the front of the crowd. "No acting like a stupid crowd in an invasion movie! 'Cause **they** always get VAPORIZED!" The crowd continued muttering amongst themselves. "Yep. Someone **always** gets vaporized! Like you!" He pointed to a nerdy-looking, office manager. "You look like ya got a sign on yer back dat says, "Vaporize me"!" The crowd immediately moved away from the man as though he was carrying some sort of lethal, contagious disease.

"You know you're not helping one bit, you bonehead!" Tonya scoffed as she and Care grabbed laser guns along with April.

"OK everybody! Let's move out!" April commanded. The people immediately spread out around the perimeter, armed and ready to fight. Then she looked down the path and watched Leo and the guys hurrying off to save their brother and the girl who was all but their sister except in name and blood. "Good luck guys."

* * *

_Meanwhile, at the UN Headquarters..._

The leaders and military officials gathered inside their meeting chamber were arguing amongst one another. Papers were scattered and some of the leaders had even gone back to their home countries to see if they could deal with this crisis on their own.

"We can't surrender what we don't have!" one of them argued . Just then, the Prime Leader appeared on the main screen monitor.

"People of Earth," Zanramon announced. "You have delayed too long in handing over the Fugitoid. Now, witness the consequences of inaction." The screen fizzled and went blank.

"The alien aircraft is hovering over the airspace over Beijing!" the military commander reported from his laptop, causing the Chinese UN representative to gasp and move closer to the screen. "And there's not a thing we can do to stop them!"

Everyone watched in horror as after the aircraft's lasers cut deep into the ground, Beijing was levitated high above the country, suspended in the air and surrounded by what looked like an impenetrable dome.

"Delay no longer or we shall take your world apart piece by piece until nothing remains!" Prime Leader Zanramon growled. "Surrender the Fugitoid or perish!" The screen went blank, leaving the world leaders looked frazzled and fearful of what this alien race would do next to gain something that they didn't even know existed.

* * *

_Back on Earth in New York City..._

The cruiser was flying low close to the trees of Central Park when one of the monitors began to beep rapidly.

"We have a trans-ionic particle alert!" one of the two pilots observed. "The reading is off the gauge!" A video image of Raphael running through Central Park came up on the tiny monitor inside the console. "It's one of the terrapin creatures."

"Let's get 'im!" the other growled as their lasers zoomed in on Raphael, who was blasted and lay on the ground, unmoving. The ship landed, and the two Triceratons came out. One of them poked at Raph with his laser gun.

"This is one of the mighty terrapins who defeated Mozoram and the mighty Triceraton All-Stars?!" one of them chuckled in disbelief. "I'm shaking with fear!" Just then, Raph turned around on his knees and looked at them, smirking.

"You **should **be!" he told them before kicking the laser gun out of one of their hands. The other took out another laser gun, but Raph dodged the hit in time for Mikey to come flying in for an attack that disarmed the Triceraton. Raph came back in, and with a savage hit, managed to crack the breather mask of one of the two pilots, causing the Triceraton to snarl and bellow as he held his head as oxygen came pouring in.

"You look a little upset," Leo said to the Triceraton, who glared at him through the smoke coming from his damaged breather. Leo pulled out his swords and crossed them in front of him, smiling wickedly. "Care to talk about it?" The Triceraton growled and pulled up a lamppost, using it as a club. Leo dodged the hits and then kicked the Triceraton into a tree. Hard. Meanwhile, the other Triceraton had taken out a third side-arm and blasted at Raph and then Mikey, who dodged the blasts.

"Just how many times do you expect me to disarm you?!" Mikey asked before a laser blast hit the tree he was standing beside and knocked him backwards. The Triceraton advanced on him, ready to take the goofball turtle out.

"Go ahead! Make my day!" Raph growled, pointing the laser gun at the Triceraton. Growling, the Triceraton dropped the laser gun and raised his hands in surrender. Raph and Mikey led him to the ship.

"Here guys. I grabbed some breathers," Leo told them, holding out a couple of the devices as he himself was wearing one. "We're gonna need 'em." Raph and Mikey took them and put them on.

"Alright! Get dis hunk o' junk in de air!" Raph ordered, pointing the gun at the Triceraton. "Yer gonna help us save our siblings!"

"I refuse to pilot this craft!" the Triceraton growled. "I will not collaborate with the enemy!"

"Alright then. Mikey, you pilot it," Leo told his youngest brother. "After all, it can't be harder than a game of Space Destructors." Mikey jumped into the pilot's seat and took the controls away from the Triceraton.

"Seriously?! Wicked!" Mikey crowed with excitement. "My very own alien space fighter!"

"Uh, Leo? Are you sure dis is a good idea?" Raph asked, looking a little worried.

""Good" might not be the right word," Leo replied, looking as uneasy as Raph did. Mikey studied the controls in front of him for a moment.

"Hmm... this one looks important," Mikey thought aloud, his finger stretching to push the big, red button.

"No! Don't touch that!" the Triceraton shouted in panic. But Mikey pressed the red button, and the ship's engines came on at full power, sending the ship hurtling towards the trees in front of it.

"Pull up, Mikey! Pull up!" Raph yelled as Mikey barely got the craft up in time. It jerked sideways and back and forth as it went on a rampage of destruction, the wings slicing into the street, into the roofs and sides of buildings. And he barely missed hitting any civilians.

"Oops. Sorry," Mikey apologized as he held the steering column in his hands. Just then, a huge, office building was coming up fast in front of them. The Triceraton's eyes went wide with fear.

"Move out of the way! Idiot!" the Triceraton growled, snatching the helm away from Mikey.

"Hey!" Mikey shouted. The Triceraton pulled up hard, and the ship flew up the building and into the air. Leo breathed a sigh of relief and wiped imaginary sweat off of his forehead.

"Now pilot this ship or we'll let **Mikey** fly it again," Leo told them, smiling evilly at the goofball turtle.

"No! No! I'll fly it!" the Triceraton told them, looking scared to death of having Mikey piloting any ship that he was on.

* * *

_The Triceraton Homeworld spacecraft..._

"Get your hands off of me, you pre-historic creeps!" Samantha yelled over the tube of her breather as she and Don were escorted into the Prime Leader's throne room. The guards let go of her and then allowed her and Don to walk together side-by-side.

"Whoa!" Don breathed. Samantha too looked around at the impressive statues of war-like Triceratons, and the long, wide carpet that led up a escalator of steps to the throne of the tyrannical Triceraton. Zanramon was seated on his throne with Commander Mohzar standing close by him.

"All hail our great Prime Leader!" the two guards chorused as they knelt and saluted to the Prime Leader, who rose off of his throne and came down the small steps to view the prisoners closer.

"Kneel before our great Leader!" one of the guards shouted before knocking both Don and Sam to their knees.

"You!" he growled, pointing a finger at the two captives.

"Finally. I can make you and this insolent palace brat pay for your last crimes!" Zanramon growled, clenching his fists. "Helping the Fugitoid escape! Abusing my royal visage by holding me hostage! Disgracing our honored warriors, the Triceraton All-Stars! And...and...you stole my personal space cruiser!" he roared, looking close to being on the verge of tears.

"Did **we** do all that, Sam?" Don asked, smiling at the young woman beside him.

"I always thought we were overachievers, Donny," she replied, shrugging and smiling right back.

"Silence!" the Prime Leader shouted. "Tell me where the Fugitoid is, and I **may **make your end a **little** less painful! Now tell me! WHERE IS THAT ROBOT?!"

"I don't know!" Don replied firmly.

"And before you ask the obvious question, Fossil Head, neither do I!" Samantha added.

"You DEFY me?!" the Prime Leader roared.

"Wouldn't be the first time, Dino Brain!" Samantha snapped.

"The truth is, the Fugitoid's not on Earth anymore!" Don told him. "He's gone! Long gone!"

"No more lies!" the Prime Leader growled, seizing Don and lifting him into the air by his shoulders.

"Don!" Samantha shouted, trying to get up from her knees, but one of the guards shoved her back down onto the carpet.

"Tell us where the Fugitoid is or PERISH!" the Prime Leader roared into the face of the turtle genius.

* * *

_Back on the rescue cruiser..._

The Triceraton piloting the craft spied the red button underneath the console and smiled evilly. Stealthily, he pressed it, alerting the other fighters in the area that he was in need of assistance.

"Fighter 29-V! We've received your call," one of the fighter pilots reported. "What is the nature of your emergency?"

"Emergency! What emergency?" Raph asked as he and Mikey peered out of the side window of the ship. Leo came closer and saw the blinking, red button.

"What did you do?!" Leo demanded.

"You are trapped!" the Triceraton replied, smiling evilly at them. "Respond! You have no choice!"

"Respond, 29-V!" the fighter pilot told them once again. Mikey and Leo exchanged looks.

"Uh...not...reading you...KKKKK!" Mikey said into the microphone, making it sound as though the radio was breaking up. "Need...repairs...KKKKK! Must return to homeworld!"

"What kind of repairs?!" the fighter pilot inquired.

"There's a big hole in the...space engine thingy!" Mikey reported, keeping an eye on the fighter jets nearby. "But we're OK. It's not...that bad."

"Why do we let him talk?!" Raph grumbled as he and Leo shook their heads. The Triceraton seized his chance and shoved Leo and Raph out of the way and seized the microphone from Mikey.

"This is the pilot. I am being held hostage," the Triceraton reported. "Destroy the ship! Destroy the ship!" Raph sliced into the microphone with his sai, but it was too late. The order had been given to destroy the fighter ship.

"You crazy Hornhead!" Raph snarled. "You'll be blown ta pieces too!"

"I would rather be destroyed by my own people than collaborate with the enemy!" the Triceraton replied, sitting back down at the controls.

"Uh guys?" Mikey said, his eyes never leaving the window outside. "That "destroy by his own people" part? I think he's about to get his wish!" The cruiser was blasted relentlessly by the other fighters' lasers.

"I commend my spirit to the first great warrior of the Faston Nebula!" the Triceraton said, a hand held over his heart.

"All your commending is very commendable, but OUT OF MY WAY!" Mikey shouted, leaping onto the Triceraton and seizing the helm from him. Dodging the laser blasts from the pursuing cruisers, the ship was still hit a few times, sending Raph flying backwards. Just then, he spotted the weapons' controls and smirked before leaping into the seat and taking control of them.

"Man! I don't know which is worse: Mikey's flying or being shot at!" Raph growled as he aimed the laser guns at the Triceraton fighters that were pursuing them. He hit the wing, sending the cruiser down.

"Yeah!" Raph cheered as he blasted another fighter and clipped the underbelly, sending it spiraling out of control.

* * *

_Back at the UN..._

"See?! I have proof of your lies!" the Prime Leader told them. He held up Don to the monitor. "We captured this creature on your planet. A creature I encountered on the far side of the galaxy who assisted the Fugitoid in escaping Triceraton authority. His presence on your planet is proof that the Fugitoid is there!" He tossed Don to the side. "Now GIVE ME THAT FUGITOID!"

As all the leaders stood chattering amongst themselves, one man stood in the shadows, dressed in black and holding a cell phone to his ear.

"This is Bishop," the man reported. "We've lost the Turtles. No. Not a chance. We'll have to up the ante."

The Justice Force was sent up, and for a moment, there was hope. But soon, thanks to the Mothership's lasers, the Justice Force was sent hurtling back to Earth.

"I just got the word. We're launching a nuclear attack on the Mothership," the military commander reported grimly. From its test fields and battleships, the nuclear missles were launched towards the Mothership. But something else was directly in the path of those missiles: a single cruiser carrying three Turtles and a Triceraton pilot.

* * *

"Now what?!" Leo snapped angrily.

"The stupid humans have launched a salvo of nuclear missiles!" the Triceraton pilot growled. "They won't get through the shield, but at this speed, neither will we!"

"You've obviously never played _Space Destructors_!" Mikey told them as he pushed the steering column in and accelerated. "Hang onto your shells, guys!"

"This is gonna hurt!" Mikey yelled as the ship barely made through the shield before the nuclear missiles exploded against the shield, leaving the Mothership untouched.

"Remind me never to get that close to a nuclear explosion!" Mikey told them as everyone raised their heads and saw that they were still in one piece. "I've decided I don't like 'em so much!"

"Now what?!" Raph demanded. "We'll **never** make it past da Triceraton defenses!"

"No. But that freighter **will**!" Leo observed, spying the freighter heading into the homeworld base. "We need to land on its back..._very quietly_."

"No problem!" Mikey told them, taking the controls in hand once more. "One stealth landing coming right up!"

"Yer not serious?" Raph inquired, looking worried.

"Absolutely," Mikey replied. "This is a standard, sci-fi, spaceship infiltration technique. Watch the Master, Raphie Boy!" The Triceraton groaned as Mikey piloted the ship

"I don't believe it!" Raph whispered to Leo. "Mikey's actually pulling it off!"

"See?" Leo whispered back. "He's not _completely _useless!"

"I heard that!" Mikey told them to both of their shocks.

"Freighter 239, you are clear for landing!" the voice reported. Mikey, Leo and Raph high-fived and celebrated while the Triceraton pilot growled angrily at their being successful. The three Turtles managed to slip inside the base and scaled the pipeline into the sewers.

"Man! Getting into this place was easy!" Mikey told Raph.

"Don't jinx it!" Raph scolded before he turned to Leo. "So what now Fearless leader? How do we find Don and Sam?"

"Uh...give me a second," Leo replied in a low whisper. "As you might be able to tell, I'm making this up as I go." Just then, there was the splashing sound of water, and the three Turtles found themselves surrounded on all sides by armed Triceratons who stood in the shadows.

"Halt! Move and you will be destroyed!" one of them commanded.

"Hey! Leo?! Could ya make up something else?" he asked as the Triceratons closed in on the three brothers, laser guns pointed straight at them, ready to annihilate them. "Something that has a happy ending?"

******Another cliffhanger?! I know. I'm so cruel! *laughs evilly before I have a coughing fit and Leo pounds me on the back* But don't worry. It won't last for long...**

**-Livangel16**


	66. Chapter 66

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not an Ordinary Girl

**Hello my lovely readers! So, I must apologize for being gone so long! A THOUSAND AND ONE APOLOGIES! *falls to knees and begs for forgiveness*. OK. So here's why I've been M.I.A. : 1) I had TONS of schoolwork to do, and because it's my second year, I need to buckle down and FOCUS! 2) I wrote and directed a play at my church for Easter, and that took A LOT of time and work, but it went really well, and I'm happy! 3) I just really haven't felt like writing much in the FanFiction world lately as my other writing has been taking up a lot of my time. But, in order to make it up to you, I am bringing you the first THREE chapters of season 3! I have to go somewhere, so I can't do visiting fans at the end (plus I'm out of ideas, so PM me your visiting fan ideas AFTER you review ALL THREE CHAPTERS SEPERATELY!) Thank you! Now, without further ado, on with the story! Enjoy!**

**D****isclaimer: I do not own TMNT! They belong to Eastman and Laird! All O/C are my property!**

Chapter Sixty-Six

The Triceratons continued to press closer and closer to the three mutants until they had every way of escape completely blocked off.

"Umm...Leo? We're surrounded," Mikey told him in a low, panicked voice.

"Attack left. On my signal," Leo whispered to his brothers as his hands reached back for his swords. Raph reached slowly for his sais, and Mikey reached for his nunchucks.

"Halt! There is no need to attack my friends," a familiar voice told them. Then, a very familiar Triceraton stepped out of the shadows, accompanied by two soldiers, smiling. "Much as I would enjoy the re-match."

"Traximus?! No way!" Raph breathed as he and the others looked relieved and put away their weapons.

"Welcome to the Triceraton Rebellion," Traximus told them, bowing to the three.

"Rebellion?! No way!" Raph shouted in disbelief.

"Allow me to introduce part of my ever-growing rebel army," Traximus told him, gesturing to the largely Triceraton force, but a few aliens

"Hey. I recognize those guys," Mikey said, hurrying over to the two aliens on the far right. "Looks like someone brought back recruits from the Battle Nexus tournament just like he said he would. As for me, I had to settle for bringing back...the championship trophy!" Raph quickly pulled hard on Mikey's bandana tails, yanking his head back.

"I thought we agreed ya weren't gonna do that anymore!" Raph reminded him, keeping a tight grip on the tails.

* * *

_Meanwhile, in the Prime Leader's Throne Room_

Don and Samantha were both shackled and kneeling on the floor of the throne room when a large shadow hovered over them. Looking up, the two saw Mohzar standing over them. He bent down and snatched up Don by his shackled wrists, dangling him in the air like a plucked chicken.

"Hands off the boyfriend, you extinct reptile!" Samantha growled before launching herself forward and biting into Mohzar's arm, sinking her teeth in to the bone. The Triceraton bellowed and released Don before smashing his elbow into Samantha's face. She went flying backwards and hit the floor hard.

"Samantha!" Don yelled, hurrying to her side, but before he could see if there was any real damage to her, Mohzar once again picked him up.

"Listen, you pea-brained gecko!" Don growled as he struggled against Mohzar. "How many times do we have to tell you?! The Fugitoid is NOT...ON...EARTH!" Mohzar set him down on the ground, but kept his shackled wrists in a tight grip in one of his hands.

"Our brains may be small, terrapin scum! But our tracking equipment does not lie," Mohzar replied, picking up Samantha, who was coming around and beginning to struggled. He dragged them both towards the monitor.

"The Fugitoid's teleportation trail leads directly to your planet," Mohzar told them, showing Don and Sam the trail's pathway to Earth.

"He **was** on Earth, but he's not there anymore!" Don repeated.

"Then where is he?!" the Prime Leader demanded.

"I...I can't tell you that!" Don said finally.

"Can't? Or won't?" the Prime Leader asked.

"Which one does it matter? You're not gonna get him to tell you anything!" Samantha yelled. "Just let us go and leave the Earth alone!"

"Enough! I will ask you one more time, terrapin! Where is the Fugitoid?!" he shouted. Don simply turned his back to the Prime Leader, his face determined not to tell this tyrannical dinosaur one thing.

"Very well," the Prime Leader told him in a deceptively smooth voice. "We "pea-brained" geckos will just have to _extract_ the information we want from you! Commander Mohzar! The device if you please!"

"You're pathetic and a fool if you think some machine's gonna get Donny to tell you anything!" Samantha shouted. Just then, Mohzar stepped forward and placed the golden device over Samantha's head instead. She screamed as the device began tapping into her brain, prying into her knowledge, her memories, every strand of her being. Electric strands of energy pulsed from the helmet as Samantha sank to her knees, screaming in pain.

"The machine will get this terrapin to tell me everything I want to know!" the Prime Leader told the girl and the turtle. "Since both of you were with the Fugitoid when he escaped, you both probably know where it is! Either way, one of you will tell me!"

"And what if she doesn't know anything?!" Don snarled, eyes narrowed at the Prime Leader.

"I doubt that, terrapin creature. And if, on the odd chance I'm wrong, then watching her being tortured should prove to be very effective in getting me what I want to know," the Prime Leader answered. "Especially seeing as the human brain can only withstand so much electrical volts from a source."

"No way am I telling you anything, Hornhead!" Samantha shouted as she struggled to free herself from the mind probe atop her head. But it was too strong for her, and she was getting weaker and weaker by the minute.

"Struggle all you want, fool!" the Prime Leader laughed evilly. "There is no resisting the Triceraton mind probe!"

"Samantha!" Don shouted as he watched his girlfriend helplessly struggle against the mind probe, seeing her memories being shown on the screen.

"Now. About that Fugitoid," the Prime Leader said, smiling evilly at Don.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"Man, you got some horns, Traximus!" Raph declared as they walked into the Rebellion's headquarters in the sewers. "Putting yer rebel base right under da Prime Leader's nose!"

"Zanramon is too focused on his insane war against the Federation to focus on us," Traximus informed them as his troops trained in combat with each other. "He has driven the Triceraton Republic to the brink of destruction. **That** is why he must be overthrown."

"Can't you just hold a re-call election?" Mikey asked jokingly before he was slammed into the ground by a Triceraton rebel wearing silver armor.

"Thanks pal!" Raph laughed, waving at the Triceraton. "You saved me the trouble of having to do that!"

"You remember Mozoram and his Triceraton All-Stars," Traximus said, gesturing to the greatest gladiators on the Republic's homeworld.

"Didn't we open up a major can of butt-whoop on you guys in the Tri-Sports Arena?" Mikey asked, looking cocky as ever. "Of course, that was before...my unprecedented win at the Battle Nexus championship!" Mikey started break dancing and celebrating by himself while Raph and Leo shook hands with Mozoram and his team.

"Is it possible that your brother has grown more annoying since last we met?" Mozoram asked.

"It's a rare gift," Mikey told them.

"Yeah. And I wish we could exchange it," Raph added, hands on his hips and glaring at Mikey.

"So, Traximus. Think your troops can help spring Donatello and Samantha?" Leo asked the rebel leader.

"Mozoram and Iya here will help you," Traximus told them, gesturing to a wide-eyed alien. "I know this is an especially personal mission for you in particular, Leonardo."

"Why me in particular?" Leo asked, looking beyond confused.

"I know how close you and Princess Samantha are and that you care deeply for her," Traximus answered. "Especially after your...public display of affection at the Battle Nexus tournament."

Leo smacked a hand over his eyes, blushing furiously. "You heard about that?" he groaned.

"Bro, da entire **universe **musta heard about ya locking lips with da Princess!" Raph reminded him. "You two weren't exactly very...discreet."

"Damn it!" Leo grumbled under his breath. Then, he faced Traximus. "Look Traximus. Samantha and I do care for each other, but that kiss didn't mean what you think it did."

"How so?" the Triceraton asked.

"The Damiyo's crazy son was gonna go after whoever she favored to win the tournament for Earth," Leo explained. "And since she couldn't risk Donatello's neck, I more or less volunteered to be the guinea pig that got poisoned. That kiss was a fake to throw him off the trail."

"I see. Though I doubt you yourself truly believe your own words, we will let this matter rest. Now, you must beware. The Prime Leader has sworn a personal vendetta against you Turtles and Princess Samantha. What DID you do to him to get him so angry?"

"Other than take him hostage, get him blasted by his own troops, steal his space cruiser and get it blown to atoms, all while escaping with the Fugitoid?" Leo informed him. "Not much," he finished, crossing his arms casually over his plastron and smirking slightly.

* * *

_Back in the Prime Leader's Throne Room..._

Samantha screamed as her memories of their adventures in space played before them all. The Prime Leader and Mohzar looked on it with interest as they saw the DNA chains on the monitor, but what they were looking for wasn't there. Yet.

"Sam!" Don shouted, hurrying forward to try and help her, but Mohzar grabbed him by his shackled wrists and dangled him helplessly in the air to watch the love of his life thrashing and screaming in pain, her memories being played out in the open for two, invasive dinosaurs to see and use.

"Donatello!" she yelled, the electrical pulses from the mind probe growing stronger while she herself was growing weaker. Her brain wouldn't be able to take much more of it.

"Last chance, terrapin scum!" the Prime Leader chuckled. "Tell me where the Fugitoid is, or your precious President's niece's brain will be fried!"

"Never!" Don snarled. The Prime Leader gritted his teeth angrily, and that anger seemed to increase the mind probe's power as her screams intensified, echoing off the chamber's walls and piercing Don's heart like thousands of tiny knives.

"Master...Splinter!" Samantha screamed, thrashing on her knees.

_Princess Bushido-san! the voice of Master Splinter said in her mind. I am with you! I am with you! I am with you!_

Don noticed that she'd stopped struggling and was kneeling, but she looked calm, focused, unafraid. Just then, there was a huge surge in the mind probe's energy before it exploded, the image of the Fugitoid vanishing from the screen, which went blank except for a beeping symbol in the center.

"Impossible!" Commander Mohzar snarled, tossing Don to the ground roughly before approaching the young woman, who was still on her knees. He took it off of the young woman's head. "No one has **ever** resisted the mind probe!"

"Clearly, the Earth creature has something to hide," the Prime Leader said. "But we have other ways of making you talk."

"I'll never tell you **anything**!" Don snapped.

"Double that for me, Hornhead!" Samantha added fiercely.

"Oh really? Not even to save your miserable brothers?" the Prime Leader asked, kneeling beside Don. Both he and Samantha gasped. The Prime Leader looked pleased at finally having frightened them. "Oh yes. We know they're in the same city where we apprehended you and the President's niece, Samantha." Don and Samantha exchanged grim looks but didn't say anything.

"Attention people of Earth! Since you persist in your defiance of not giving up the Fugitoid, we will continue in our taking your cities apart until we find him! Starting with this large island before us!" The lasers of the Mothership began slicing into Manhattan, destroying cars, houses, even the Brooklyn Bridge.

"Your brothers are down there!" the Prime Leader told Don. "Tell me where the Fugitoid is, and I won't have them hunted down and destroyed!"

* * *

_In the sewers below the Prime Leader's Throne Room..._

"First, we'll need to get to a monitoring station and determine where they're holding your brother and Princess Samantha," Mozoram told them. "We'll make our way through the..."

"Sewers," Mikey and Raph said at the same time.

"Never fails," Raph said.

"So I still don't understand how a Triceraton All-Star ends up fighting for the Rebellion," Leo told Mozoram, who went on to explain how Traximus had freed them after Zanramon's imprisonment of their team thanks to the Turtles defeating them in the Tri-Sports Arena and how now, Mozoram's allegiance was only to Traximus.

"Hey! Speaking of humiliating defeats," Mikey said, jumping into the conversation, "did I forget to mention that I'm a...BATTLE NEXUS CHAMPION?!" Raph growled and tried to smack Mikey, but Leo blocked it before delivering a smack of his own to the back of Mikey's head.

"Ow!" Mikey yelled. "_Et tu, _Leo?!" Using a smoke bomb, the Turtles and their re-enforcements managed to break into the security room and take down all the guards in a matter of minutes.

"We came. We saw. We kicked some shell!" Raph told them proudly, twirling a sai.

"Yes. But it won't be long before they realize the security system has been breached," Mozoram countered as he and Iya began hacking into the system. "We'll need to work fast." Two, green blips appeared on the screen as Iya scrolled through it.

"Wait! Go back!" Mozoram shouted. Iya backtracked and the two, green blips re-appeared on the screen.

"The good news is your brother and Princess Samantha are on this base," Mozoram told the Turtles. "The bad news is they're with the Prime Leader in the throne room."

"Can you get us in?" Leo asked.

"Perhaps," Mozoram replied, nodding. "If we can overcome a few obstacles." Just then, an alarm started beeping and everyone turned to see Triceraton guards hurrying towards the room.

"Uh, would one of those obstacles be heavily-armed guards?" Mikey asked, pointing at the oncoming guards.

* * *

_Back in the Throne Room..._

Don and Samantha watched in horror as Manhattan was beginning to rise from the surface of the planet, just like Beijing had. Samantha gritted her teeth and vowed that if these shackles ever came off, she was kicking Zanramon's ass once and for all.

"Wait!" Don shouted. "I'm telling you the Fugitoid isn't on Earth!"

"And why should we believe you?!" the Prime Leader demanded, pointing a claw at Donatello.

"Can't you just scan for his positronic energy signature or something?" Don suggested. The Prime Leader and Zanramon began laughing heartily.

"What kind of fools do you take us for?!" the Prime Leader chuckled. "Positronic energy signatures are as common as space dust."

"Not on Earth!" Don told them, pointing to the levitating piece of Manhattan. "Our technology isn't advanced enough!"

"He's telling the truth!" Samantha added. "We don't have even a quarter of the technology that you do!"

"What?! Why was I not told of this?!" Zanramon demanded of Mohzar.

"Well...naturally...we...we just...assumed..." Mohzar stammered out, backing away slowly.

"We Triceratons assume nothing except...VICTORY!" the Prime Leader growled. "Begin positronic energy scan! NOW!"

"Yes Prime Leader!" Mohzar replied, saluting and beginning the scan of the entire planet.

"This had better not be one of your terrapin tricks! A way to stall for time perhaps, while your brothers commit some act of sabotage!" the Prime Leader growled. "Though how some pea-brained, terrapin scum, lower than life..."

Just then, Samantha caught a glimpse of herself in the reflective surface of a nearby statue. Her hair, which had been straight and a little disheveled back when she'd been fighting the Triceratons in Central Park, was now sticking out at crazy angles. She looked like she'd had her hand on one of those electric balls for over 48 hours. Needless to say, Samantha's temper boiled over until she couldn't contain her rage any longer.

"Oh that does it!" Samantha snarled, tackling the Prime Leader to the ground and pounding him with her bound fists. "It's one thing to insult my family in front of me, but your stupid helmet did **this** to me?! Do you KNOW how long it takes me to wash and get the static out of my hair, you ugly, prehistoric, talking fossil?!"

"Wow! Remind me never to mess with her hair!" Don chuckled. Then, the Prime Leader's rage boiled over. His claw whipped out like lightning, backhanding the girl soundly across the face, the tip of a sharp nail slicing into her cheek. Then, leaping to his feet, the Prime Leader seized the girl by the collar and threw her hard across the throne. She crashed against his throne and tumbled down the steps head over heels, crashing to the ground in a heap.

"Samantha!" Don shouted, hurrying over to her. The girl moaned but didn't make a move to get up.

"You're lucky my brothers aren't here right now, Hornhead! Otherwise, they'd kick your prehistoric ass for just doing that!" Don snapped.

"HA! When your brothers come here, I will have them, you and this royal brat tortured until you scream for the mercy of death!" the Prime Leader growled.

"_My _brothers?" Don chuckled, looking beyond disbelieving at the Prime Leader's stupidity. "They wouldn't be caught dead in this place!"

"Prime Leader! Excuse the interruption!" the guard shouted. "But these spies were caught attempting to take over a security post!"Samantha stirred just in time to gasp when she saw Leo, Mikey and Raph shackled in front of them. Don and she exchanged horrified looks.

"Wouldn't be caught dead in this place, eh?!" the Prime Leader repeated in a gleeful voice. "Well they _have_ been caught!" The Prime Leader approached the three Turtles with Donatello and Samantha in tow, the former keeping a tight grip on the weaker latter.

"And now, they will be exterminated!" the Prime Leader growled, pointing the laser gun at the three Turtles. "You five will answer for all the crimes you committed against the Triceraton Republic! And don't think I've forgotten about my space cruiser," he added in a low voice.

"Excuse me, Prime Leader!" the guard said again, saluting. "But would it not be best to prolong their agony in your private torture chamber?!" The Prime Leader slowly lowered the laser gun.

"Ah! Excellent suggestion, guard!" the Prime Leader agreed, smiling evilly. "Make it so!"

"Yes sir!" the guard replied, saluting once more before shoving Don with his brothers.

"Take you hands off of me, you prehistoric freak!" Samantha shouted as the guard seized her arm and dragged her along and led all five of them out of the throne room.

"Well guys. If this is your idea of a rescue, it's pretty lame," Don told Leo bitterly. Just then, they stopped and the guard released Samantha, who looked ready to attack him.

"Hold on, Sam!" Leo told her. "It's OK."

"Leo, are you nuts?" Samantha demanded. "Your breather must be malfunctioning or something!" Just then, the guard produced a key and pressed a button. Their shackles fell off and clattered to the floor. Samantha was in disbelief. The guard was just letting them go? How was that even possible?

"So...you were saying?" Leo asked, smirking at Don. The guard removed his helmet, revealing a Triceraton with two, red scars beneath his eyes.

"Mozoram!" Don shouted in surprise. When Sam gave him a skeptical look, Don added, "He's an old friend." Then, he turned back to his brothers. "OK. Open mouth, insert foot."

"Come. We must get you to an escape ship," Mozoram told the Turtles and Samantha.

"Then let's not waste anymore time!" Samantha declared, running forward. Just then, Raph seized her wrist and held her back.

"What happened here?" Raph asked, tapping his own cheek.

"And what's with the crazy hairdo, Sammy?" Mikey added, noticing her ruined hair. She and Don exchanged looks, which wasn't missed by Leo for even a second.

"The Prime Leader's work?" Leo asked her. Samantha swallowed hard and nodded. Leo looked away to hide the anger in his eyes. Mikey looked sickened. Don was grim-faced, having seen it all first-hand. Raph growled and then exploded.

"Dat's it!" Raph snarled, whipping out his sais. "I'm going back in dere and making sure dat no-good dino **stays** extinct dis time!" Leo quickly grabbed Raph's arm and held him back.

"Raph! We don't have time!" Leo growled.

"He's right dude! We gotta move! NOW!" Mikey seconded.

"I see!" Raph snapped, throwing off Leo's hand and rounding on his brothers. "So you guys are just gonna let him diss our sister like dat?!"

"Your sister?" she repeated.

"You've always been a sister to us, Samantha," Leo told her, placing a brotherly hand on her arm. "We've been together so long, it'd be impossible for us not to consider you part of our family."

"Yeah!" Mikey agreed. "All Donny has to do now is marry you, and then it's official!" Samantha and Don both blushed, but that wasn't the end of Mikey's comment. "Speaking of which, when am I gonna be an uncle?"

"Mikey!" Samantha screeched in embarrassment as Don's blush covered his entire face and Leo smacked him hard in the head.

"I've kinda been wondering dat too," Raph snickered. "I wanna teach da little guy how to do the F-you!"

"No way are you teaching **my son** that move, Raph!" Don told him firmly. "I'll murder you before I let you turn my child into a killing machine!"

"Guys! Can we discuss this another time and in another place? Like say, Earth?!" Leo suggested anxiously, but the others were too engrossed in the conversation to hear him.

"And I wanna teach him how to play _Halo_ and _Call of Duty: Black Ops_," Mikey added.

"And I just wanna get out of here!" Samantha shouted, finally gaining their attention. "Look. We've gotta get out of here before Zanramon figures out we're **not** being tortured! Now get your shells in gear and let's move already!" She and Leo hurried towards the open vent with Mozoram and Mikey.

"Just pray ya don't get a daughter, Donny," Raph told him, giving him a brotherly smack on the shell. "'Cause if she's anything like her mother, yer in trouble."

* * *

_Back in the Throne Room..._

"We've scanned half the planet, sir!" Mohzar reported. "Not one, positronic signature! Maybe the terrapin was telling the truth."

"No!" the Prime Leader shouted. "The Fugitoid **must** be here He has to be here!" Just then, the scanner changed to show a guard without a uniform standing before them.

"Sir. Three terrapin creatures, an unknown alien and one of our own attacked us and stole my uniform," the guard reported.

"WHAT?!" the Prime Leader roared in anger. He was livid with rage now. "SEAL OFF THE BASE! Do NOT let those creatures escape!"

* * *

"All units: full alert! We have alien intruders!" the voice over the loudspeakers shouted. "Commence Tri-Base lockdown immediately! I repeat, full alert!" Mozoram silently snuck out of the vent and then signaled for the Turtles and Samantha to come through as well. Ducking behind canisters of what seemed to be fuel oil, the five peered out and saw an entire squadron of Triceratons in front of them.

"What do we do now?" Samantha whispered.

"Don't worry about dat, Princess," Raph told her. "We got dat covered." Then he and Leo rolled a barrel forward while Mozoram pushed an entire trolley forward towards the squadron. Then, with two blasts from two, laser guns, the canisters were ignited and exploded, creating the perfect cover under which to escape.

"C'mon!" Leo ordered as they hurried forward towards the space cruiser along the ledge, using the smoke as a perfect screen.

"Hey! This is the **Prime Leader's** cruiser!" Mikey realized, smiling wickedly. "Didn't we steal this once before?"

"And guess what?" Leo said, smiling wickedly.

"Don't tell me," Samantha told him, grinning evilly. "We're stealing it again, aren't we?"

"Oh yeah!" Leo chuckled darkly, eyeing the newly-designed cruiser.

"Well then, let's fly this puppy!" Samantha replied as she and the Turtles hurried forward into the cruiser. Mozoram landed on the roof of the cruiser, having ignited one more canister for good measure.

"Good luck my friends!" Mozoram told them, closing the top hatch.

"Good thing we already know how to fly this thing," Mikey told them as he and Raph scrambled into the weapons' seats.

"Umm...actually, the Fugitoid piloted last time," Don reminded him as he and Leo took the driving seats and Samantha swung into the navigator's chair. Pressing a few buttons on the console, the ship lifted up, smashing the loading dock where it had been stationed. The Triceraton guards blasted at it, but Mikey and Raph quickly aimed the laser guns and fired twice, knocking out all the guards.

"Alright! The way back to Earth is clear! Now take us out of here, Donny!" Samantha told him after scanning the star chart on the screen.

"Hang on!" Don told them as the ship soared out of the bay and scraped against the tunnel wall before the doors opened and the space zoomed off back towards Earth.

* * *

"Prime Leader. The...uh...terrapin creatures have stolen your private space cruiser," the guard reported. "Again."

"WHAT?!" the Prime Leader roared, smacking a claw over his eyes. "I just had it detailed! Destroy those creatures! And tell engineering to start building me a new cruiser!" Mohzar saluted and then hurried off to alert all combat fighters to pursue the Turtles and the Princess and destroy them.

But, hidden in the shadows, Iya pressed a small device and the Tri-fighters exploded, one after another in a chain.

"Prime Leader!" the same guard reported. "The Tri-fighters on this bas have been sabotaged!" The Prime Leader let out a bellow and smashed his fist down on the arm rest of his throne, smashing off a corner.

"Deploy the Tri-bases!" he ordered fiercely. "I want those terrapins and that child vaporized! Do you hear me?! VAPORIZED!"

* * *

"Now **that** is one adventure I don't want to repeat for a while," Samantha breathed as she stood up to walk over to Don and Leo. But when she took that first step, her head pounded like a drum, and she felt dizzy. The next thing she knew, she was on the floor and Leo was helping her up.

"Are you OK, Samantha?" he asked her, looking beyond worried.

"I...I think so," she groaned. Then, she shook herself slightly. "Guess the Prime Leader's...interrogation methods weakened me more than I thought."

"Planet Earth! Dead ahead!" Don informed them.

"I'm more worried about "dead behind"," Mikey told them as he watched the green energy ball speeding towards them. "As in, **our** dead behinds!"

"Sit tight and hold tight to your lunches!" Don told everyone as the cruiser zoomed towards the shield with the energy ball following right behind them. He pulled up, but the energy ball followed right behind them.

"Hey! No fair!" Mikey shouted.

"It must be a smart weapon!" Don theorized.

"Den we'd better get smarter 'cause it's right on our tail!" Raph told them grimly.

"This day couldn't possibly get any worse!" Samantha groaned.

"Umm...I think it just did, Sam!" Leo told her, pointing through the front window at the Tri-bases which lay dead ahead of them.

"Aw man!" she groaned.

"Ya just **had** to say it, didn't ya, Princess?!" Raph growled. Just then, the other two bases fired two more smart weapons which joined their friend as the cruiser sped back towards Earth.

"I've heard of triple threat, but this is ridiculous!" Samantha observed.

"What do we do?!" Mikey asked in panic.

"Fly fast and see if we can't shake these things," Leo replied. "We can't let them hurt innocent people. We'll find a solution."

"If we live long enough," Samantha added under her breath, but Leo still heard her, and from the look he silently gave her, he was thinking the exact same thing.

* * *

"Prime Leader. The scan is complete. Negative on all positronic energy signatures," Mohzar reported.

"The Fugitoid is **not** on Earth?!" the Prime Leader snarled in disbelief. "Then this entire invasion has been a colossal waste of time and resources!"

"The High Council will not be pleased," Mohzar reminded him.

Zanramon snarled and slammed his fist down on his arm rest. "**I **am the High Council!" Then, he turned back to the monitor. "Besides, I can still save face with the destruction of those terrapin creatures and the niece of one of the galaxy's most powerful men!"

* * *

The energy spheres were slowly closing in on the Turtles and Samantha.

"Can't ya do anything ta shake dose things, Donny?!" Raph demanded as he watched the three spheres getting closer and closer to them.

"Don't you get it, Raph? Those energy spheres follow us wherever we go!" Don reminded him.

"Then maybe it's time we start using that to our advantage," Leo suggested.

"Right!" Don agreed as he piloted the ship down towards Earth, through the shield and towards the Tri-base that was suspending a portion of New York above the ground.

"Special delivery!" Mikey chuckled as they swooped through the base and watched as the three spheres exploded, destroying the base and sending the piece of New York floating gently back down into place.

"Alright Donny!" Mikey cheered. "How'd you know it was gonna work like that?!"

"Uh...actually...I didn't," Don confessed.

"Guys! Look!" Samantha shouted as the cruiser swooped low through the streets. She was pointing upwards as the Tri-bases and ships were floating away from Earth. "They're leaving!"

"So da Hornheads are packing it in," Raph observed, smiling.

"Looks like we saved the Earth from the alien invasion," Leo said, smiling as well.

"Awesome!" Mikey cheered. "We'll get a hero's welcome! Dinner with the President! A made-for-TV movie!" he finished, holding his fingers like a camera at Leo. Raph stepped in, and the two of them stared at him. He lowered his hands. "Or we could just continue living in the sewers and let someone else grab the glory."

"Look at the bright side of it," Don told them. "We got a cool spaceship out of it. And this whole Fugitoid thing is finally over."

"Amen to that!" Samantha seconded, coming over and leaning against the console. "Professor Honeycutt's a nice robot and everything, but I **never **wanna hear the word "Fugitoid" again for as long as I live!"

"Well guys! The Triceratons are leaving! We did it!" Leo declared, punching the air with his fists.

"You know, saving the human race gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling deep down in my shell," Don said, leaning back against his seat. The others stared at him as the cruiser swooped down over Fifth Avenue, missing the backed-up traffic by a few inches.

"Donny. The last thing we need right now is to be the center of attention," Leo told him as Don piloted the cruiser above the city.

"Leo. We're flying an eighty-ton, imperial space cruiser down Fifth Avenue!" Raph reminded his older brother. "It's a little hard ta keep it on da down-low." Just then, Mikey's Shell-cell began ringing.

"So, how about Uncle Kenji and I take you guys out to dinner to celebrate?" Samantha suggested as the three Turtles turned to her. "I mean, it's not dinner with the President, but..."

"We'd love to, Samantha," Leo cut in, smiling at her.

"Yeah. Especially if it's all-ya-can-stuff-yer-face-with _and **yer** _paying," Raph added, smirking at her.

"I think I can live with that," Samantha replied, smirking back at Raph. "And Uncle Kenji probably can too."

"Den I'm in," Raph told her.

"Me too," Don seconded.

"Why not?" Leo agreed. "We don't get to celebrate saving an entire planet with a beautiful girl every day."

"You have **got** to show me the school that taught you to be so charming!" she chuckled, smiling at Leo. He smirked and twirled an undamaged strand of her hair around his finger.

"What school?" he asked smugly. "It's all natural ability, Samantha." He then took her hand up in his and planted a soft kiss on the back of it.

"Leo! Stop it!" she giggled, a warm blush spreading over her cheeks. "You're making me blush!"

"Yes! Please stop!" Don told him bluntly. "Before I throw up!" he muttered to himself.

"Hey! Would you guys keep the love triangle fighting down?! I'm **trying** to talk to someone on the phone! This is the Mikey Party Line!" Mikey told the caller. "What's up?!"

"Michelangelo?" the voice answered.

"Professor Honeycutt?! No way!" Mikey exclaimed happily. "Hold on! I'll put you on speaker!" He pressed a button. "We were just talking about you! You ears must be burning!"

"Not so," Professor Honeycutt replied. "My ears are a steel alloy. It would have to be 25000 degrees Fahrenheit for combustion to occur."

"Umm...that's not exactly what I meant," Mikey told him.

"So how are you Professor?" Samantha asked. "I mean, we haven't seen you in a good while."

"I'm quite alright, Samantha my dear," Professor Honeycutt replied. "But if you want to see me, that can easily be arranged."

"What are you talking about?" Samantha inquired.

"Professor. Your interstellar signal is so clear," Don remarked, touching a few buttons on the console. "It sounds like you're only a mile away."

"Oh no. Not a mile away," the robot answered. "I'm at least 2.1 miles away. At the site of the T.C.R.I. building."

"Wait a minute?! Did you just say T.C.R.I.?!" Samantha shouted. "Meaning...!"

"You're on Earth?!" Don and Mikey shouted in disbelief.

"Oh boy!" Raph groaned.

"Stay right there Professor. Don't move," Leo told him. Then, he turned to Donatello. "Donny. We need to hide this thing pronto. And then..."

"And then we need to figure out a way to hide the Fugitoid," Samantha finished as the cruiser swept low over the buildings of a recovering city which was now in danger of being twice as hard if the Triceraton scanners picked up the Fugitoid's positronic energy signature. And she didn't think that the Federation was far behind them, even behind the scenes of this war, waiting for the right moment to strike. "Because somehow, I have a feeling that the worst parts of this war haven't even **started.**"

**OK! So, that's all for now, folks! But please PM me with your visiting fan ideas! And as always, reviews are what make me smile and inspire the Muses to create such amazing chapters, so please: REVIEW! And now, shout-outs to all of my reviewers (don't worry. I'd never forget about you guys! ;)) So, thanks to all of my lovely reviewers: grapejuice101, Aster Sapphire, Kimmi398, missymousemonster, flamedragon242, ninja-warrior101, pokemonjkl, WolfAssassin369, bell-13-tmnt-lover, RAHELA, zrexheartz, lovefairytail007, Josh Haner, honkytonk-babe3, I Love Kittens Too, Pink Lightspeed Ranger and IAmTheDragonEmpress! Also, to all those who added this story to their favorites and are following it, you all rock and make me so proud to be writing this Fanfic! Well...until next time guys when the drama gets turned up and a certain MIB-wannabe agent enters the picture officially. What will happen? How will our ninja princess deal with Bishop? And what's up with Leo suddenly being so flirtatious around our Samantha? Tune in to the coming chapters for more answers and secrets!**

**Happy reading! **

**-Livangel16**

**P.S.-My birthday was on April 2nd, so I'm now 20 years old! Yeah. I know. I'm ancient! :P Anyways, see you guys on the next chapter and look forward to seeing your PMs about visiting fan scenarios for you, me and our favorite boys in green!**


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